TRADITIONAL healers say they play a significant role treating illnesses which cannot be cured by western medicine, but feel they have been left sidelined by the lockdown regulations.

Well known traditional healer, Andile ‘Dr Mkhulu Mashilamu’ Nkomonye of uMhlabuyalingana, is aggrieved about the situation.

‘My clients phone every day, but I can’t help them over the phone. Others have to collect their medications, but they can’t because they are not allowed to travel.

‘The government allowed street vendors to go back to the streets, but no one said anything about us as indigenous healers,’ said Nkomonye.

‘President Ramaphosa announced social relief to help those in need. He also announced financial support for emerging businesses, but we were not mentioned. We have been excluded as non-entities.

‘People need our help out there. The coronavirus is not the only deadly illness. There are other deadly diseases needing urgent attention.

‘People should be allowed to consult traditional healers. They need to appease their ancestors, otherwise they might lose their lives and suffer consequences for neglecting them.’

Nkomonye said healers are stuck at home doing nothing, they can’t even go to the bush to collect herbs or muthi because law enforcement agencies are all over.

‘Recently an elderly traditional healer was badly assaulted at KwaSikhemelele by soldiers after he was found carrying muthi from nearby bushes.

‘Most of us depend on this calling to make a living and we also have families to support. I don’t see myself queuing for a R350 social relief payment for unemployed people,’ he stated.

Nkomonye urged the Department of Health to involve them in the fight against the coronavirus.

‘We can put our heads together and come up with at least a temporary solution as western doctors have completely failed to get a cure,’ he said.

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