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Bulawayo resident calls use of traditional medicine
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A concerned Bulawayo resident, Mcabango Mpande, has petitioned the Ministry of Health and Child Care to formally recognise and integrate traditional herbal medicine into Zimbabwe's healthcare system, citing the ongoing collapse of public health institutions and historical suppression of indigenous healing practices.
In a letter delivered through the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo, Mpande urged the government to consider traditional medicine as a viable alternative amid persistent shortages of drugs in public hospitals and clinics across the country.
"For hundreds of years before colonisation, Zimbabweans sustained their health using time-tested traditional herbal medicine," Mpande wrote. "But during the colonial era, these practices were deliberately suppressed through laws such as the Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1899 and the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act of 1969."
He expressed concern that the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act remains in force 45 years after independence and continues to criminalise traditional herbalists for selling unregistered remedies — despite their deep-rooted cultural and medicinal significance.
"While our hospitals face serious challenges in drug availability — largely relying on foreign donations — our people are being denied access to their own indigenous remedies, which have served them for generations," he said.
Mpande also questioned the legality and safety of some foreign-donated medicines, which he claims may not meet Zimbabwean regulatory standards, yet are widely distributed in under-resourced clinics and hospitals.
He warned that continued reliance on external aid for medication poses a national security risk, particularly in light of ongoing global geopolitical tensions.
"This security cannot be guaranteed by relying on foreign donations but by developing and promoting our own indigenous traditional herbal medicines," he said.
The petition was also copied to several key ministries, including Justice, Industry and Commerce, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, Home Affairs, State Security, and Defence.
As of Monday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care had not responded to the petition.
Calls for the official recognition of traditional medicine have been growing in Zimbabwe, especially in rural communities where access to modern healthcare is limited. Advocates argue that formalising traditional healing practices could complement mainstream medicine, reduce drug shortages, and preserve Zimbabwe's cultural heritage.
In a letter delivered through the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo, Mpande urged the government to consider traditional medicine as a viable alternative amid persistent shortages of drugs in public hospitals and clinics across the country.
"For hundreds of years before colonisation, Zimbabweans sustained their health using time-tested traditional herbal medicine," Mpande wrote. "But during the colonial era, these practices were deliberately suppressed through laws such as the Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1899 and the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act of 1969."
He expressed concern that the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act remains in force 45 years after independence and continues to criminalise traditional herbalists for selling unregistered remedies — despite their deep-rooted cultural and medicinal significance.
"While our hospitals face serious challenges in drug availability — largely relying on foreign donations — our people are being denied access to their own indigenous remedies, which have served them for generations," he said.
He warned that continued reliance on external aid for medication poses a national security risk, particularly in light of ongoing global geopolitical tensions.
"This security cannot be guaranteed by relying on foreign donations but by developing and promoting our own indigenous traditional herbal medicines," he said.
The petition was also copied to several key ministries, including Justice, Industry and Commerce, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, Home Affairs, State Security, and Defence.
As of Monday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care had not responded to the petition.
Calls for the official recognition of traditional medicine have been growing in Zimbabwe, especially in rural communities where access to modern healthcare is limited. Advocates argue that formalising traditional healing practices could complement mainstream medicine, reduce drug shortages, and preserve Zimbabwe's cultural heritage.
Source - NewsDay
