Scottburgh trees debarked for muthi
Traditionally, it was either sangomas or inyangas who would provide muthi, but, with the ever-growing market, herbalists now also collect, stock and sell basic traditional treatments and tree bark is an ingredient in many types of muthi.
PEOPLE have been stripping the bark off trees in David Road, Scottburgh.
Alerted to this, the Mail asked conservationist Peter Vos what it was all about.
According to Mr Vos, the bark is used in muthi. The tree it was taken from, a prime target for this practice, was a Flatcrown (Albizia adianthifolia).
The practice of debarking trees poses a huge risk in terms of conservation, Mr Vos explained. “The old-time traditional sangomas used to take only a small section of bark from any one tree to give it a chance to recover. Your picture shows a tree that’s been hacked by professional agents – almost completely ring-barked – and it will almost certainly die,” he said.
ALSO READ: ‘Muthi’ medicine a bitter pill
Traditionally, it was either sangomas or inyangas who would provide muthi but, with the ever-growing market, herbalists now also collect, stock and sell basic traditional treatments and tree bark is an ingredient in many types of muthi.
Concerns are growing that collectors of tree bark do not have the required permits. “Harvesting like this is a crime,” said Mr Vos.
“Harvesters are supposed to get permits from the Department of Environmental Affairs and permission from the land owners – and to do it sustainably.”
The bark, sap, or leaves from 174 species of trees in KwaZulu-Natal are used in the manufacture of muthi, according to research published in the South African Journal of Botany.
Flatcrown was one of 15 species identified by urban herbalists as becoming increasingly scarce in KZN. “It was ranked among the most frequently demanded medicinal plants in KwaZulu-Natal. The bark is commonly traded in medicinal plant markets on the Witwatersrand,” the article reads.
The bark is used in muthi for the treatment of bronchitis. Powdered bark is used as a snuff for headaches and sinus. Stomach ailments are treated with a weak infusion of powdered bark and apparently even eczema is treated with a bark infusion.
The research article also highlights that the bark is toxic.
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