News / Local
Health ministry blamed for Tsikamutandas
01 Nov 2017 at 09:12hrs | Views
APOSTOLIC Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president, Johannes Ndanga, has accused the ministry of Health and Child Care of contributing to the rise of controversial traditional healers popularly known as Tsikamutandas.
Ndanga told Southern News on the side-lines of his church's just-ended inaugural two-day congress which was held in the city that the Act which was being used by the ministry to licence traditional healers was causing more harm than good to the society, particularly in the rural areas.
"The problem of Tsikamutandas is with the Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TMPC) which is an enactment under the ministry of Health.
"The chapter seeks to regulate traditional healers but to me it does not exist, it's a mere fundraising programme by the ministry because you can also go to TMPC and claim to be a traditional healer and you get licenced," said Ndanga.
"There is no due process that is followed. You just pay a certain fee and automatically you become a traditional healer even if you are not.
"Now they say they want to register churches and apostolic church prophets, it's nothing but all for the purposes of fundraising maybe for buying tea for their meetings.
"The fact is that the whole thing is causing this problem of Tsikamutandas," he added.
While he did not give specifics, Ndanga who during the congress together with his bishops endorsed president Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace as the patron and matron of the church, respectively, said he was working on putting an end to the proliferation of Tsikamutandas.
Meanwhile, Ndanga was voted as the ACCZ life president as part of the congress's resolution.
"I was willing to step down but the bishops were not willing to allow me to step down as the president. Fortunately, I never lobbied to remain president.
"The bishops said they have voted for me to be life president. Initially they had not told me that they wanted to make me life president but I was surprised when all the ten provinces, including the women and youth wings, resolved that I become life president," Ndanga said.
His confirmation was also endorsed by the minister of Sports, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Makhosini Hlongwane.
Ndanga told Southern News on the side-lines of his church's just-ended inaugural two-day congress which was held in the city that the Act which was being used by the ministry to licence traditional healers was causing more harm than good to the society, particularly in the rural areas.
"The problem of Tsikamutandas is with the Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TMPC) which is an enactment under the ministry of Health.
"The chapter seeks to regulate traditional healers but to me it does not exist, it's a mere fundraising programme by the ministry because you can also go to TMPC and claim to be a traditional healer and you get licenced," said Ndanga.
"There is no due process that is followed. You just pay a certain fee and automatically you become a traditional healer even if you are not.
"Now they say they want to register churches and apostolic church prophets, it's nothing but all for the purposes of fundraising maybe for buying tea for their meetings.
While he did not give specifics, Ndanga who during the congress together with his bishops endorsed president Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace as the patron and matron of the church, respectively, said he was working on putting an end to the proliferation of Tsikamutandas.
Meanwhile, Ndanga was voted as the ACCZ life president as part of the congress's resolution.
"I was willing to step down but the bishops were not willing to allow me to step down as the president. Fortunately, I never lobbied to remain president.
"The bishops said they have voted for me to be life president. Initially they had not told me that they wanted to make me life president but I was surprised when all the ten provinces, including the women and youth wings, resolved that I become life president," Ndanga said.
His confirmation was also endorsed by the minister of Sports, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Makhosini Hlongwane.
Source - DailyNews
