TRADITIONAL HEALERS PROGRESS REPORT PRESENTED BY MRS TR MDLALOSE ACTING CHIEF DIRECTOR: HUMAN RESOURCES

PUBLIC HEARINGS The Portfolio Committee on Health conducted hearings for National stakeholders in February 1998

RECOMMENDATIONS BY PARLIAMENT The Portfolio Committee on Health and Select Committee of the NCOP made the following recommendations: -That there should be legal recognition of Traditional Healers as a health resource -That an Interim Council be established which will be responsible for the regulation of the profession. -The Interim Council should report back to Parliament within (3) years,thereafter a permanent Council shall be constituted provided they they comply with the set conditions;

Continue That a Forum be set up before the Council is formed to: -ensure that all stakeholders and associations are taken on board and -Unpack the complicated matter of training and accreditation and formulate clear proposals

Continue That the broad functions of the Council should be; -Registration of all qualifying traditional healers -Promotion of training, research and professionalism in the sector -Developing an ethical code of conduct and maintenance of discipline within the profession -Setting up norms and standards with regard to the practice of traditional healing, including regulating the issuing of medical certificates and tariff levels. -Facilitate co-operation among traditional healers, medical professionals and the government

Continue -Research and creation of a database; and -Regulating anything incidental the traditional healing practice That Traditional Healing remains part of the private health care sector at this stage. That the proposed categories of healers which the Council should oversee should include the following: -Inyanga (Herbalist or traditional doctor) -Sangoma (Diviners) -Traditional Birth Attendants (Ababelekisi) -Traditional surgeons (Iingcibi)

Continue There were suggestions to include the spiritual healers (abathandazi), the committee was of the view that these should not be included for two main reasons: -They are not of a traditional nature -Training and accreditation will be difficult

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRADITIONAL HEALERS STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP The workshop was held on 18 June 1999, at Boulevard Hotel in Pretoria All nine (9) provinces had 4 Traditional representatives

Continue The existing four (4) Health Statutory Councils namely: SANC, HPCSA, SAPC, and Homeopaths and Allied Service Professions Interim Council made presentations regarding their organisational structures as well as financial matters All councils committed themselves to share information which can assist in the establishment of the Traditional Healers Council

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING: 20 FEB 2001 Objectives of the meeting were: -To highlight issues that were raised at the 1998 public hearings -To report back on the progress made by DOH -Taking the process forward following MINMEC meeting in September 2000, which endorsed the establishment of the Interim Council for Traditional Healers -Setting up of a forum which will have an input in the drafting of the Bill by the DOH

TRADITIONAL HEALERS ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTED Interim Co-ordinating Committee for Traditional Medical Practitioners (ICC) South African Traditional Healers Federation Traditional Healers of South Africa Professional Traditional Healers Register of South Africa Traditional Medical Practitioners and Spiritual Healers Organisation

COMPOSITION OF THE FORUM AGREED UPON Nine (9) Traditional Healers nominated by the Traditional Healer Provincial representatives Five (5) nominated by the DOH Total: 14

WAY FORWARD FUNCTIONS OF THE FORUM: -To come up with proposals that will be fed to the legal unit of the DOH in the drafting of the Bill. -The proposals will deal with the following identified areas: -Definitions -Composition of the Interim Council -Education and training

PROGRESS TO DATE The goal is to have the Bill tabled in Parliament by The Forum has had several meetings to make inputs to the draft Bill.

PROVINCIAL PRACTITIONERS BILL ROAD SHOW The NDOH has embarked on provincial road shows to familiarise the Traditional Healers and other stakeholders with the contents of the Bill. Seven Provinces were visited and this are: –Free Stare(19 March 2002) –Gauteng(26 March 2002) –North West( 9 April 2002) –Western Cape(12 April 2002) –Easter Cape (16 April 2002) –Limpopo(23 April 2002) –Kwazulu-Natal(28 May 2002)

Continue The provinces still to be visited are: – Mpumalanga –Northern Cape NB. The Bill was published for public comments on 11 April 2003, for a period of three months.