Govt Says Pastors, Traditional Healers Now Require Licences To Cure Patients
The Health and Childcare Deputy Minister John Mangwiro said that faith healers and traditional healers are now required to obtain a licence for their operations.
Mangwiro said those who fail to do so risk being jailed for two years.
He said many patients are said to be dying after consulting traditional healers and faith healers who are not referring them to medical professionals.
The patients were presenting late at health facilities after their condition would have worsened due to late diagnosis.
Speaking at the launch of the Zimbabwe Unicef-Eli-Lilly pediatric and adolescent Non-communicable disease initiative on Friday at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Mangwiro said:
Yesterday I was talking about traditional healers, n’angas, mapostori, pastors, and those who say they can cure people.
We were saying at the parliament that in Section 27.18 that those who say they cure diseases, should have machines to check BP, sugar and temperature.
They should also document what they would have cured. They should also be registered and whatever they do not know, they should refer to other medical practitioners.
We would also want to know the place of operation that is where they do the treatments and we can send our inspectors.
If we find you curing, whether you are a pastor or evangelist or bishop, or a n’anga you should be registered and possess a record book documenting who you healed, the disease cured and the period and medicines used for healing.
Mangwiro said that faith and traditional healers who fail to comply with the government’s directive will be imprisoned. He said:
If in contravention, one faces two years in jail or a fine or both. It is like so, mothers when you consult these faith healers, they should tell you the diagnosis, and the treatment and if they cannot heal the child, they should learn to refer as they cannot know everything.
As the government, we are following up on this knowing what is being done.
We now have a council that will help traditional healers. We will be registering each practitioner, even if you are a n’anga, mudzimu, dreamer or a pastor, bishop or evangelist, we expect you to have a licence and we want to licence your place of practice and give you a practice number.
