LIMPOPO – Indigenous Knowledge Systems of South Africa (IKSA) was responsible for implementing the project, which has come to little. The President of the Vhembe Traditional Health Practitioners, Mbulaheni Neluvhola said although there were two opposing groups battling for ownership of the land, IKSA also took part in the division of traditional healers.
“I told one of the IKSA officers to focus on the implementation of the project and stop support groups.
“I was sidelined by IKSA because of telling the truth. That project belongs to us as traditional healers. We applied it and the Nthabalala Traditional Authority allocated a portion of land for us. Now because there is money involved, people want to divide traditional healers. We don’t practice traditional healing for money, it is a calling from our ancestors.
“These medicinal plants are used to treat a variet of ailments. There is a growing appreciation of the value of medicinal plants and their associated traditional knowledge by the modern industries, especially the pharmaceutical industry.
“Many widely used products such as plant-based medicines and cosmetics produced by modern industries are derived from medicinal plants, and majority of them are indigenous and endemic to South Africa.
“This makes South Africa an attractive venture for companies seeking novel compounds for different applications, for example medical, agricultural, horticultural, or environmental,” he said.
“Traditional medicine was the preferred primary healthcare choice for about 70% of South Africa’s population, and it has been an essential resource for human health from ancient times. It was important to acknowledge that traditional medicinal practitioners were among the most knowledgeable people about medicinal plants in local communities. The Maila community had proposed the conservation of medicinal plants project,” he said.
“They have much to offer in identifying local conservation issues and the development of improved systems for managing medicinal plants.
“Conditions for conservation are greatly enhanced when the owners and stewards of medicinal plants receive equitable benefits arising from the use of these resources, and feel that they are properly compensated for the level of effort involved in their contributions,” said Neluvhola.
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