What Zimbabwe legislators said about traditional medicine-Joshua  Murire

HON. MURIRE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to support Hon. Masango’s contribution to the House. I rise with happiness and where I come from in Chipinge, it is an area that is well-known for the use of traditional medicines. Even for spiritual assistance – a lot of people from this country come for spiritual assistance in Chipinge, those who are critically ill and even those with various illnesses. Our area of Chipinge has a lot of medicinal traditional medicines.

A lot of people are healed by these traditional medicines. If you use the Mutare Road to Chipinge, on your way to Chiredzi and on your way along the road you see a lot of sign posts indicating the presence of traditional healers. All of those are traditional healers who assist people using traditional medicines. I am shocked that as a nation, we spend a long time arguing and debating as if we do not know that traditional medicines work. We do not believe in our traditional methods of healing. We despise our own ways of healing through traditional medicines.

Something has been left on the parts of women. Even those that are made to strengthen private parts they use traditional medicines. If you go to the Ndau people, they will assist you in using traditional medicines. They are open and free to enlighten you with regard to that issue. We do not believe in such things as Zimbabweans. The Ministry of Health allowed for such to take place. It is important for people to be informed what traditional medicines can be used and how they can be used to the safety of people. Tree barks in my area do work as traditional medicines. I drank that from my homestead and I never went to the hospital. It really helped me. As Government, let us not waste time speaking and talking despising our traditional medicines.

It is by desire that we have a law that will enforce and force the Ministry of Health that traditional medicines be used legally. Allow universalities, especially institutions, to develop these ideas and develop these traditional medicines. What we need to understand and know is for people to have the knowledge, how this is used and how it can be developed for the safety of those who consume it. We need to educate people on what exactly needs to be done. As Parliament, we should look at the law, how we can best craft it. If we do that, even some of the money that we use to import medicine from China, we will see reduction in the budget.  One of the major problems we have as a nation is, we look down upon ourselves when it comes to the use of traditional medicines.  We are not proud of ourselves.

Madam Speaker, my desire is that we must not waste time talking.  All the ministries in Government should come together, sit down and deliberate on the best way to develop our traditional medicines for the safe use of citizens.  I do not have much to say Hon. Speaker.  With those few words, I would like to thank you for the time that you gave me.

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