M Tshabalala-Msimang: Launch of Medicinal Plants Cultivation
Project

20 October 2007

Programme director
MEC of Health
Mayor of Richmond
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen:

I would like to first express my shock about the incident that happened at
Seshego Hospital in Limpopo yesterday where a hospital driver who had been
dismissed as a result of a disciplinary process, shot and killed a hospital
Chief Executive Officer and three other officials at the hospital.

I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families and relatives
of the deceased. We also express our appreciation to the police for the speedy
response and arrest of the person responsible for this violent and senseless
incident. I hope he gets convicted and the court hands him a heaviest sentence
possible.

I would like to appeal to all our health workers that this incident should
not discourage our hospital managers from taking appropriate action against any
employee who is charged with misconduct. The Department of Health remains
committed to empowering and delegating authority to hospital managers to manage
both human and financial resources in a manner that enables hospitals to
respond adequately to the needs of our people.

This incident at Seshego Hospital and the sad killing of our reggae
international star, Lucky Dube, highlights the need for all of us to address
the challenges of violence and trauma in our society. The Department of Health
will play its role as part of a government collective to ensure that violence
prevention measures and safety and security plans of the country are
implemented effectively to respond to these challenges.

Programme director, I feel really honoured to be invited to deliver this
opening address at this important Indigenous Tree Planting Ceremony, which is
an event about planting of indigenous medicinal plants.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Mthembu family for
making this large land available for planting indigenous medicinal plant by the
traditional health practitioners. The Department of Health, working together
with the traditional health practitioners and all other government departments
involved to ensure that this land is properly maintained and utilised so as to
yield the desired results.

As far as we are concerned, this gathering is an important historical event
as it also brings to the fore the potential value of our natural heritage.
South Africa as a country is blessed with a rich heritage of indigenous
medicinal plants whose potential is yet to be fully harnessed. So the potential
for finding new and alternative treatments remains huge and almost
unlimited.

The important role of traditional medicines in strengthening the capacity of
our health care systems to effectively respond to the health needs of our
people cannot be overemphasised. It is clear that natural medicines have a
great potential to contribute significantly to our response to major health
conditions affecting our society. Already people are using traditional
medicines and natural therapies in alleviating conditions associated with HIV
and AIDS, diabetes, malaria and many other serious health conditions affecting
them.

This occasion allows us as a people to stand tall in asserting our history
and heritage as the people of Africa. The effect of colonialism in banishing
this heritage is well documented. Our people who practiced in this field of
medicine were labelled as wizards; the practice itself was described as
uncivilised and barbaric.

Today we are saying this deliberate effort to undermine traditional medicine
should stop. I say it must stop because honestly speaking, this colonial
attitude towards traditional medicine still continues today. It is being
championed by some groups in this country who are demanding that government
should ban the use of traditional medicine in the country and arrest
traditional health practitioners.

Our response to these demands is clear - traditional medicine has sustained
the health of our people for hundreds of years and this government will ensure
that it is developed and awarded the recognition it deserves.

We have acted on this conviction as a country and a number of initiatives
have been undertaken to deal with the unique situation of African Traditional
Medicines. Allow me to highlight just a few of the initiatives that have either
been completed or are currently underway. These initiatives include the
development of the National Drug Policy which recognises the role and benefits
of available remedies of African traditional medicines in the National Health
System

A Presidential Task Team has been established and it is working on the broad
Policy Framework on African Traditional Medicine for our country. There is also
a Ministerial Task Team which is working on transformation of our Medicine
Control Council including facilitating the registration and regulation of
African Traditional Medicines.

We have also established a fully staffed directorate in the Department of
Health that manages the work related to traditional medicine in the country.
The establishment of this directorate demonstrates our commitment as the
Department to ensure that traditional medicine is accorded the necessary
recognition.

The finalisation of the Traditional Health Practitioners Bill, which has
just undergone a rigorous public scrutiny and participation throughout the
country, is probably the biggest milestone. Once signed into law, this piece of
legislation will lead to the establishment of the Traditional Health
Practitioners Council. This is a body that will oversee the process of the
institutionalisation, regulation of African traditional medicine practice in
the National Health System.

Programme director, earlier this year South Africa hosted the 3rd Ordinary
Session of the Conference of African Union Ministers of Health in Johannesburg.
One of the key objectives of this conference was the adoption of the African
Health Strategy and once more, the issue of African Traditional Medicine took
centre stage. As Ministers of Health in the continent, we are required to take
stock and report back on progress made in as far as the implementation of the
Plan of Action for the African Union's Decade of Traditional Medicine
(2001-2010) is concerned.

I have outlined the broader issues pertaining to our commitment, as the
Department of Health, to the institutionalisation of African Traditional
Medicine. We also believe that practitioners and users of African traditional
medicines have a task of ensuring conservation and sustainable utilisation of
our indigenous medicinal plants. Therefore, this project is important in
exploring the possibility of large scale production of medicinal plants needed
to meet the growing need for traditional medicines as the World Health
Organisation estimates that 80 percent of the people of our continent use
traditional medicine.

Most importantly, this project will assist in conserving this heritage for
the next generations. We inherited the knowledge about the value of traditional
medicine from our parents and great grandparents. We therefore have a duty to
pass it on to the next generations. Therefore this gesture of availing such a
vast piece of land by the Mthembu family for planting of medicinal plants is a
noble one.

To the traditional health practitioners present here today, once more thank
you for your confidence in our leadership. I reassure you that we are not going
to fail your expectations and those of the millions of people who are dependent
on you for health and indeed life.

To our ancestors and leaders, Sekhukhune, Makhado, Hintsa, Ngungunyane,
Shaka Ka Senzangakhona and Moshoeshoe, we shall not fail in preserving and
according appropriate recognition to the great heritage that you left us!

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Health
20 October 2007
Source: Department of Health (http://www.health.gov.za/)