Traditional Healers Summit Seeks to Protect Indigenous Knowledge

• Launch of Traditional Health Practitioners Summit: The Alfred Nzo District Municipality held a two-day summit at Matatiele to gather traditional healers, leaders, and government departments to discuss traditional medicine and healthcare collaboration.
• Support for Indigenous Herbs and Healing Knowledge: Representing the Executive Mayor, Councillor Eunice Diko pledged support to protect indigenous herbs and healing knowledge, while emphasizing the need for regulation against unregulated harvesting.
• Objectives of the Summit: The summit aims to strengthen collaboration between traditional practitioners and government, promote awareness of sector legislation, and establish an annual action plan for traditional medicine.
• Restoring and Respecting Traditional Healing: Nkosi Sigcau emphasized the importance of restoring traditional healing practices post-colonialism, advocating for respect and integration of indigenous health systems.

The Alfred Nzo District Municipality has opened a two-day Traditional Health Practitioners Summit at the Matatiele Local Municipality Council Chambers, bringing together Abanyangi bemveli, traditional leaders, local municipalities and government departments such as Health and Education.

Representing the Executive Mayor, Councillor Eunice Diko expressed strong support for traditional healers, pledging that both the Speaker’s office and the Mayor’s office will support efforts to safeguard indigenous herbs and the healing knowledge they carry. She also warned against unregulated harvesting of medicinal plants, calling for a framework to protect these natural resources.

Council Secretary Nolufele Mbatane outlined the summit’s goals, which include strengthening collaboration between practitioners and government, raising awareness of legislation in the sector, promoting safe and effective use of traditional medicine, protecting Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and establishing an annual programme of action.

INkosi Sigcau said colonialism took away African cultural roots and stressed the need to restore and respect traditional healing, Ms. Bokolo from the Eastern Cape Traditional Health Practitioners Forum thanked the municipality for convening the summit, urging the blending of herbal medicine with conventional healthcare.

Other speakers included Ms. Zoleka Mbange, Provincial Coordinator for Traditional Health, who addressed integrating traditional medicine into the health system, and Mr. M Qumba from the municipality’s Environmental Management unit, who focused on resource management and its impact on healers.