You can buy traditional medicine on the streets of Tzaneen
“I chose to work on the street so that I can be easily accessed by many people. I have been selling African tradition medicines and healing the sick since the dawn of democracy.”
In a departure from the tradition of treating patients in a sacred hut, a traditional healer, Phillip Malatji is conducting his healing business on the street.
The 64 year-old Malatji from Mokgolobotho Village is selling traditional medicines at Danie Joubert Street in the Tzaneen Central Business District (CBD).
The former construction worker said he left the formal employment after realizing that he has a powerful gift of healing people passed down to him from his ancestral healers.
“I chose to work on the street so that I can be easily accessed by many people. I have been selling African tradition medicines and healing the sick since the dawn of democracy,” said Malatji.
Malatji claims to sell cures for various ailments and terminal diseases, among them high blood pressure, sugar diabetes, cough, sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs), contagious and debilitating diseases.
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“I also sell medicine for impotence treatment and erectile dysfunction most for male clients,” he said A client who visited Malatji during the HERALD’s interview echoed his sentiments. “I am a regular here because his medicines are very powerful especially when it comes to erectile dysfunction,” he said.
He says his prices range from R20 to R35, wherein one can possibly pay more depending on quantity. He says he uses the money he makes from his business to support his big family. “I treat and sell to people of all ages and sizes.
In most cases I get positive feedback from my patients,” boasted Malatji. Malatji works from Monday to Saturday and reserves Sunday for harvesting herbs for making medicines.
“I use herbs that have been used for centuries by ancestral healers. Most of these herbs are collected from local mountains and the river banks. I uses African potato, leaves, seeds, stems, bark or roots to make medicines,” said Malatji.
Although conceding that his traditional medicines have not been scientifically validated he claims that his herbs are very powerful and the results are extremely.
A professional health practitioner expressed concern that some healers claim to posses cures for terminal ailments, such as HIV/AIDS.
“These claims encourage people to practice unsafe sex,” she said on condition of anonymity. She advised traditional leaders to desist from making claims that are not backed by the scientific evidence.
