TINYANGA BLAME LEGISLATORS

MBABANE – Sick notes from tinyanga would  have been acceptable long ago in the country had MPs not slept on their job over the past years.
This was an observation made by the Chairman of the Witch Doctors Association, Makhanya Makhanya.

According to Makhanya, Members of Parliament (MPs) should have amended the Witchcraft Act of 1954, which demonised the work of tinyanga when western cultures showed their faces and were considered better than Eswatini culture.
“People were sick and were healed by tinyanga in the ancient days. However, when the western cultures came to Africa, the work of tinyanga was demonised in order to promote the western cultures,” Makhanya opined.
He alleged that the work of tinyanga was discredited in order to separate emaSwati from their ancestral beliefs.

He said the MPs should have amended the Witchcraft Act which classified witch doctors under witches.
He said MPs should have noted the difference between witchcraft and witch doctors. He stated that the existence of the Act made it difficult for employers to trust sick notes issued by people who were linked to witchcraft.
“It is a pity that some of the aspiring politicians are assisted by witch doctors to win the elections. How can one forget the work of a person behind his success when he or she gets into Parliament?” asked Makhanya.
Witch doctors include tangoma, babholofidi, tingedla and tinyanga, all who operate without issuing sick notes in the country.

He said one would be tempted to plead for the reduction of the MPs’ salaries because their work was not understood once they secured the positions.
He said the recognition of sick notes from tinyanga should have been made a priority because a majority of emaSwati believe in them. The chairman said even those who do not believe in magic were at times compelled by circumstances to engage tinyanga.
He asserted that some sicknesses could not be healed by doctors and nurses or pastors. He made an example of sicknesses such as likhubalo, lilumbo, umklwebho, mental illnesses, among others, stating that there was no way doctors and nurses could cure them.
 Healed
“If a condition has to do with magic, it has to be healed by the people who understands magic,” he said.
Makhanya said the issue of tinyanga sick notes vested in Parliament where all laws of the country were amended.
 He was interviewed following the recent judgment that was issued by High Court Judge Ticheme Dlamini.
Dlamini ruled that His Majesty’s Correctional Services should pay a wardress, Precious Maziya, whose salary was stopped after she submitted a sick sheet signed by a traditional healer, who operates in a consultation room (indumba).
In his judgement, Dlamini ruled that HMCS should accept the sick note from the Traditional Health Organisation for Africa, just as they accepted the sick notes signed by doctors from health institutions.
 This was after Dlamini had satisfied himself with Maziya’s sick note, which was forwarded to HMCS by the Traditional Health Organisation for Africa Public Relations Officer, Beauty Makhabane.
Makhanya also confirmed the knowledge of Maziya’s condition as he also assisted her.
He commended Dlamini for recognising the work of tinyanga, saying that Maziya would have suffered a great consequence just because of an illness which she never invited to her life.
“We are still wondering how the judge arrived at making the fair judgment. I think this should serve as a precedent to other judges dealing with similar cases,” Makhanya said.

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