Limpopo’s MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Joe Maswanganyi said religious tolerance is important and it does not necessarily mean that someone is performing a sinful deed if he is doing something that others do not believe in.

He was speaking during the official opening of the first traditional medical clinic at Malamulele on Saturday. The traditional health clinic is a brainchild of a well-known traditional medical practitioner, Dr Sylvester Hlati.

Maswanganyi says Africans need to come back to their senses and respect their traditions and cultural practices. He added that traditional medical plants should be utilized because there are other diseases which the western medical practitioners cannot cure. “Africans became ill and cured themselves even before the invention of hospitals. The trees used by our forefathers can assist us in fighting chronic diseases that are troubling the nation on a daily basis. We have to be proud of what belongs to us rather than neglect our roots because we will be lost forever.”

He encouraged community members who believe in traditional healing to visit traditional healers freely. “Most of the community members consult western medical practitioners during the day and visit traditional healers at night. Our people must be taught that there is nothing wrong with visiting traditional healers during the day because they are there to save lives.”

Maswanganyi warned traditional healers not to engage themselves in ritual murder and muti killings. “Human flesh has never been used as medicine and it will never make you rich. The only things that real traditional healers must use are herbs, not human flesh as the rotten-minded fake traditional healers think.” He further encouraged traditional healers to work closely with western doctors in solving health matters in the community.

Dr Hlati, who is known for his soft heart for the poor, said the traditional clinic will help in bridging the gap between western medical practice and traditional healing. He said it is now time to give traditional medicine its rightful place on the modern medical platform because it is significant and vital. “Traditional medicine has always been very effective but it needs people who can mix the herbs with expertise. Traditional healing has saved many lives and we need to transfer this knowledge to our kids so that they can practice the healing when we depart from this world. We still have a greater challenge to teach our people that traditional healing should be respected and given the same reception as western medical practices. They are all there to save our lives.”

Hlati said traditional healing is about helping the community, not an enrichment or money-making strategy. His traditional medicine is undergoing laboratory tests at the University of Amsterdam. “Real traditional healers are there to help members of the community, not to make money. We strongly condemn ‘fong kong’ traditional healers, who rob people of their hard-earned cash without healing them. If there is something that a traditional healer does not understand clearly, it is important to seek advice from more experienced seniors than giving your clients raw deals.”

On behalf of the mayor of Thulamela Municipality, Cllr Mavuyisi Fungheni said South Africa is a multi-religious country “and we have to respect each other for what we believe”. She said no religion is more important than another and it is important for religious groups to work together for the common goal of community development.