2.9 Forms of diagnosis•••.•
2.11.2 Reactions to medicine••••••
a technique used to treat the whole person rather than the part that might hurt. Itis a holistic traditional 'injection'.
becomes vulnerable because vital life satisfactions are unavailable.
The patient feels alienated. It is at such times when an experienced inyanga begins to exercise his therapeutic skills, by building an empathetic bond with his patient. The inyanga may request the patient to stay with him for sometime so that the former can have a closer look at the well-being of his patient. One of the relatives might also be asked to stay with the patient to give him or her moral support or to be a mediator between the inyanga and the patient especially when the latter cannot express himself or herself properly. Being closer to the patient is for inyanga an attempt to help the former to stimulate the systems within the patient himself or herself that can liberate his or her own psycho-spiritual healing powers to carry him or her across the crisis.
Ithas been mentioned that when the patient is in a critical condition, he or she may be allowed to stay under the close eye ofinyanga. This is another form of therapy that is also used by Zulu herbalists to relieve emotional stress and tension, relieve aches and pains and restore natural body movements as well as improving spiritual liberation. This kind of therapy can also accelerate physical and emotional healing and resolve issues held in the body to allow enhanced health, vitality, communication and improved interpersonal relationships.
2.12 Traditional medicine for sustainability
Nature is our mother. The good mother really cares for her children and protects them.
Nature has always been the mother of all treatments which provides therapies for all sorts of illnesses and diseases. Natural vegetation nourishes our soil and shelters and sustains wild life. It also absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen.
Probably, it is due to such caring nature of the Earth that made Saint Francis of Assisi the, founder of Franciscan religious orders, in his reflections called the "Canticle of the Sun" in
the 13th century honour the Earth by calling it 'Mother'. We depend on Mother Earth for our survival and quality of our health.
The province of KwaZulu-Natal with its magnificent and renowned diversity of indigenous flora and fauna is one of the richest and has the most fundamental elements of our natural heritage. Itis a province that places a high value on its indigenous plants and animals, which contribute to a sense of cultural identity, spiritual enrichment and recreation. Indigenous animals and plants are not only an attraction to the tourists, they are also central aspects to our natural heritage.
However, the increasing demand for medicinal plants as well as wild animal remains have led to concerns over their sustainability. Today many medicinal plants as well as wild animals whose remains are used for medicine can be referred to as endangered. Basically, the aim of training izinyanga as ethnobotanists and ethnozoologist is to provide them with conservation skills or framework for the sustainable use of plant and animal parts in medicine.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development which was held in South Africa from 26 August to 4, September 2002 can be perceived as a global wake-up call for humans to start practising an ethic of sustainable use of natural resources, especially both plants and wild animals.
Izinyanga as practitioners who solely depend on plants and animals for the treatment of their patients have a responsibility to ensure that where medicinal plants and animals are taken from the wild, they are taken on a basis that is sustainable. Izinyanga need not only study the healing properties of indigenous plant and animal remains but they should also play a role in conserving knowledge about their medicinal use especially when the depletion and degradation of indigenous wildlife threatens our health-care systems and our landscape.
Itis hoped that the knowledge of izinyanga about the use of indigenous medicines might be a valuable contribution towards the sustainability of primary health-care systems in our province, KwaZulu-Natal.
The recognition of the inherent value of indigenous medicines whose constituents are made from animal, plant and mineral remains and the need to ensure their continued survival is one aspect ofIndigenous Knowledge Systems that this discussion attempted to highlight.
Since an African Renaissance is incorporated in this chapter as an integral part of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the following discussion therefore, considers an African Renaissance as a quest for the recognition of Africa and its values.
2.13 Mbeki's catch-phrase and the African Renaissance
The word 'renaissance' is not a new word in the lexicon of developmental history. The popularity of this word in history began with the fall of the Roman Empire which was followed by the periods called the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages where people lost interest·
in literature, art, knowledge and development.
For the European population renaissance came with a new direction which rescued them from the stagnation and suffocation which had characterised the Dark Ages. Griggs (1998: 1) maintains that for Mbeki, the South African President, the 21st century is for the African Renaissance.
Mbeki's popular catch-phrase which is the African Renaissance seems to trigger many peoples' imagination and it also makes eye-catching headlines in the media. Let us first look at the background of this catch-phrase.
Firstly, let us take note that the prestigious Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples which was declared by the UN in 1993 is celebrated in 2004 in the 21stcentury. And the Indigenous Peoples of Africa are also part of this prestigious celebration.
Secondly, an idea of dedicating the 21st century to the continent of Africa goes almost simultaneously with the concept of an African Renaissance. This shows that an African-led renaissance which reflects the perspectives of the indigenous peoples of Africa is not an isolated event.
It is presumed that Mbeki adopted this catch-phrase of an African Renaissance as a way of responding or showing gratitude to the UN on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Africa for its recognition of the latter as well as their traditional knowledge systems.
Probably, Mbeki wanted to find something unique for the African continent, something that could give people new hopes and insights about Africa. It appears that Mbeki as one of the promoters of the African Renaissance adopted this catch-phrase on behalf of other African leaders as a way of telling the UN that something significant is about to come from the continent of Africa.
It also appears that African leaders have selected this term 'renaissance' as their theme, in view of the fact that they are presently in the process of implementing a policy or a plan, aimed at addressing their Indigenous Knowledge Systems which seem to be the key factor for the success of the African Renaissance. Traditional Knowledge Systems are the national heritage of Africa through which Africa can be identified.
It is also assumed that other indigenous peoples of the world may introduce their own 'labels' through which they can be identified during the celebration of this prestigious Decade. It is thought that the UN too is looking forward to seeing how the other indigenous peoples of the world will respond towards the celebration of the Decade dedicated to them.
Probably, in response to such a pressure from the UN and statesmen outside Africa, the African statesmen have seen it appropriate to claim the 218t century as the century of an African Renaissance. It is further assumed that the pressure from both the UN and statesmen outside Africa has an impact on the origin of this concept which is called an Mrican Renaissance.