Small penis? Want to win the Lotto? Lost lover? No worries!!!

We've all seen the flyers, promising everything from a cure for early ejaculation, the ability to win every court case, and a solution to the Tokoloshe. Traditional "healers" are big business in this country. They make all sorts of, frankly ridiculous, promises, and the educated amongst us may get a laugh out of the absurdities that these healers promise, but the scary fact is that many people (27 million!) believe them. It’s estimated that there are 200 000 traditional healers in SA and the industry is said to be worth R2.9 billion a year. That’s not a figure to be laughed at.

The traditional medicine is a scourge on our country. It's one thing to claim to help a person win the Lotto, or reduce their vagina (seriously) or, like on one flyer I saw, give you a remote control to control your lover, but when they promise to cure Aids, or help you win your court case where you are accused of murder- its only R750- well, that’s plain wrong. These people are not only swindling poor people out of money they don’t have, they are also placing people’s lives in jeopardy. There is no cure for Aids. We all know that. We also know that ARV's are the only way to help Aids sufferers enjoy a long and healthy lifestyle. To promise to cure someone's illness is effectively giving them a death sentence.

There are also cases of traditional healers harvesting human limbs to use in muti. The victim is identified, abducted and tortured, as it is believed that their howls of agony increase the potency of the muti. Body parts are then excised and mixed with plants to make muti that is either ingested or rubbed into the scars of the customer. This is a grotesque; inhumane, inhuman practice that is hard to believe is still carried out in this day and age.

In 2004 the government issued a bill that forced traditional healers to obtain licences before being able to work. While this helps to regulate the industry, it also legitimizes it. It means that once a healer gets their licence, they have the power to dispense their mumbo jumbo to the masses without any fear of repercussion.
The government needs to do more than issue licences. They need to clamp down on these false prophets. It is a dangerous game these healers are playing- a game with peoples’ lives, and it needs to stop.