Indigenous Knowledge Systems in time of the Pandemic

07 May 2020
Monametse Village, Sekhukhune Region
by Gilbert Moela

Local Pathways to Global Remedies

With many African Countries being eager to support Madagascar’s COVID-19 vaccine (Covid organics), some traditional healers in Sekhukhune are asking questions. In the recent weeks I have been in a heated engagements with one of the traditional healers who said to me that as traditional healers they’re often overlooked when it comes to diseases that everyone claims that only European vaccine can heal. In her argument she asked me “Since when do we test our traditional or home remedies?

 This has been used for centuries in Africa. People use aloe products which are at Dischem no one ever made noise about them. I suggest we be given our power back n be allowed to buy and or hunt indigenous remedies if we want to use it.” She also told me that “We always had all the supplies that we needed all from nature. No experimental drug or anything. Just a herb/mixture of herbs was sufficient. We were so clever and we had no ‘formal’ education whatsoever.” When asked which natural herb she will recommend for African to use to avoid catching Coronavirus, she also mentioned the same traditional herb that was discovered Madagascar which in her local language is called “Lengana”