The traditional practitioner
In African culture, in order to become a TP, one must first experience a call to
priesthood. This is recognised as an illness, the symptoms of which are caused
by ancestral spirits seeking to possess the future healer. It is a holy calling
that comes from God via ancestral spirits. The sickness may come at any age
but is most prevalent during adolescence. Once the call to priesthood is
diagnosed, the patient is immediately placed under the care of a traditional
healer and enters training as an initiate. Training can last from a minimum
of 7 years to 15 years, depending on culture, religion, ethnic group and
custom.^4 Figure 5.3 shows TP Philip Kubukeli, head of a large TP association
in South Africa, addressing a meeting of TPs and Figure 5.4 shows members
of the Western Cape Traditional Healers and Herbalists Association in South
Africa.
The role of the African TP, apart from establishing the cause of illness
and directing its cure, is also that of intercessor between patient and his or
her ancestral spirits, religious, legal and political adviser, marriage counsellor
and social worker. The TP thus plays a pivotal role in the stability and social
cohesion of the community in which he or she lives.
Specialist categories of TP are recognised, e.g. surgeons, herbalists, bone-
setters and diviners. Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) oversee pregnan-
cies, prescribe TMs in order to maintain maternal and fetal health, and
ensure a trouble-free delivery, and also advise on the care of the newborn
Traditional medical practice in Africa | 87Figure 5.3 TP Philip Kubukeli, head of a large TP association in South Africa, addressing a
meeting of TPs.