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New law will make sangomas watch their bones
Shellee Geduld
2003-04-30

At Least 80% of South Africans have visited a sangoma or taken traditional medicine, but until now traditional healing has been entirely unregulated. Only accredited sangomas and nyangas will be allowed to practise under the Traditional Health Practitioners Bill, and stiff fines and jail terms will be the fate of offenders. The department of health has called for public comment on the bill. Under the new law, traditional healers have to register with a council that will be set up by the health department. Mngadi said, Race will not be an issue in accrediting them. We will focus on whether the person has had proper training and is qualified. Within three months of the legislation becoming law, an Interim Traditional Health Council will be established. The council will have three years to draw up regulations and begin implementing the law. The council of 25 members - nine of them traditional healers from each of the provinces - will include a legal expert, a department representative, a doctor from the Health Professionals Council and a pharmacist serving on the South African Pharmacy Council. The department and the council will probe complaints about and allegations against traditional healers. Six years ago research by the Medical Research Council (MRC) convinced the authorities of the need to regulate traditional medicine.(Source: Shellee Geduld, The Cape Argus, 28 April 2003 )

At least 80% of South Africans have visited a sangoma or taken traditional medicine, but until now traditional healing has been entirely unregulated.

But soon fraudsters and con artists will have to mind their bones: under a new bill, all traditional healers will have to register and declare themselves before being allowed to practise traditional medicine. And training guidelines will be set to ensure minimum standards.

Only accredited sangomas and nyangas - the pharmacists of traditional medicine - will be allowed to practise under the Traditional Health Practitioners Bill, and stiff fines and jail terms will be the fate of offenders.

The department of health has called for public comment on the bill.

Under the new law, traditional healers have to register with a council that will be set up by the health department.

Department spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said: As a department we recognise that traditional African medicine is used, and we estimate that at least 80 percent of the population uses traditional medicine at some point.

Mngadi said, Race will not be an issue in accrediting them. We will focus on whether the person has had proper training and is qualified.

We can't go searching in every corner to see that everybody is registered, so we are encouraging people to register and we will rely on them to report non-registered people who are practising illegally.

Within three months of the legislation becoming law, an Interim Traditional Health Council will be established. The council will have three years to draw up regulations and begin implementing the law.

The council of 25 members - nine of them traditional healers from each of the provinces - will include a legal expert, a department representative, a doctor from the Health Professionals Council and a pharmacist serving on the South African Pharmacy Council.

The department and the council will probe complaints about and allegations against traditional healers.

Six years ago research by the Medical Research Council (MRC) convinced the authorities of the need to regulate traditional medicine.

Dr Anthony Mbewu, MRC's executive director of research, said: We broadly support the Traditional Health Practitioners Bill, because of our exposure to traditional medicines, but will not comment on it. (Source:  The Cape Argus, 28 April 2003)

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