Despite claims to the contrary, especially from scientists and medical practitioners, Zinatha appears to have made tremendous progress in finding a cure for the dreaded killer disease Aids.
Zinatha leader, Prof Gordon Chavunduka said his organisation sent the first blood samples of an Aids patient treated by a traditional healer for testing last month to check if the patient had been fully cured.
Prof Chavunduka said traditional healers had made tremendous progress in trying to find a cure for Aids but the problem was that most of their work was being down played because it was judged using western standards.
It was usually argued that traditional healers could not find a cure for Aids because they could not explain or understand it scientifically.
“It is wrong to judge traditional medical practice by western standards because the methods of operation are different” he said.
Traditional healers, for example, could diagnose a person using their spiritual powers without looking at the patient’s symptoms at all. Western doctors on the other hand had to ask the patient what was wrong and probably carry tests thereafter.
He also described as absurd demands by scientists or western doctors that traditional healers who claimed they could cure Aids should submit their muti for testing.
“We are saying if one has an Aids patient he or she should refer the patient to Zinatha and we will refer the patient to one of our healers. They can carry their tests after the treatment. Demanding to test the muti is robbery. They just want to exploit the traditional healers,” Prof Chavunduka said.
“There is already a lot of exploitation going on. Some samples of the muti are already in countries like the United States. If scientists there discover that the muti works and can be manufactured they will get patents for the cure taking credit for it and not the poor healer who submitted the muti to them,” he aid.
Another healer who says he can cure Aids said he will never let anyone get his muti because his ancestral spirits will not allow that.
“This just appears to be a game,” said the healer, Cornelius Ncube, “if one cannot get a formula for a drink like Coca cola why should I give them my muti. They know it works and despite what they say in the Press they come to me for treatment. Some of my patients are medical doctors, nurses, and members of the Apostolic faith. Even whites come here. What I have said is that if anyone wants to test my muti he or she should send a patient who is HIV positive and I will cure that person. They can carry their tests after that. I cannot ask any of my own patients to go for testing because they are my clients and I respect their privacy.”
Prof Chavunduka said those who believed they could cure Aids should register with Zinatha as Aids specialists. After that they would be able to send their patients for blood tests through Zinatha.
He said Zinatha had entered into an agreement with neutral scientists who were also interested in finding a cure for the disease.
He said Zinatha had also established a fund to pay for the laboratory tests of those people who were not on medical aid or could not afford the tests.
(25 VIEWS)
