Spirits walk with me : Mail & Guardian Online

As tussen 60% en 80% van die mense in Suid-Afrika tradisionele gesondheidspraktisyns besoek, is ons regtig 70% Christene?

Traditional healers are categorised into four main groups: sangomas, who are diviners; izinyanga, who are herbalists or traditional doctors; ababalekisi, traditional birth attendants; and ingcibi, traditional surgeons, according to the Department of Health.

There are approximately 300 000 traditional health practitioners currently working in the country, and 60% to 80% of the population consult them regularly, the department estimates.

"Traditional medicine has been utilised by the South African populations since time immemorial, long before the scientific allopathic medicine," says Rose Mdlalose, director of human resources in the Health Department.

African traditional healing is greatly entwined with the spiritual, ancestral realm. "They are similar to the American Indian medicine man or shaman," says University of South Africa (Unisa) Professor Anthony Minnaar, who does research into traditional healers.