One of the highly respected traditional healers in Africa, Joseph Mususumeli Mulaudzi (80), commonly known as Maine Vho-Tshikovha, received the highest honor ever bestowed on a traditional healer in the country.
Tshikovha, who stays at Tshipise-Sagole village outside Musina, was the proud recipient of the Living Heritage Treasure award from the National Heritage Council (NHC) in recognition of his role in the preservation and promotion of the country's intangible cultural heritage, more specifically Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The event took place at Musina Hotel and Conference Centre.
The National Heritage Council is an agency under the Ministry of Arts and Culture, charged with, among others, the mandate to protect, preserve and promote the country's heritage for the present and future generations.
Tshikovha is a distinguished traditional healer who inherited the trade from his late father 60 years ago. He is also highly respected for his exceptional ability to treat mental illness and grooming future traditional healers.
When handing over the award, the chief executive officer of the National Heritage Council, Adv Sonwabile Mancotywa, said Tshikovha was one of the unsung heroes who deserved to be acknowledged in his lifetime. “We should take pride in people like him because they have contributed by embracing the ways of knowing, seeing, and thinking that are passed down orally from generation to generation. These ways of understanding reflect thousands of years of experimentation and innovation in different spheres of life. Let us all treasure the knowledge of this man because it is extremely useful in solving complex problems of health and saving countless lives for people from different countries.”
Mancotywa said many people did not know that Tshikovha was also a distinguished freedom fighter who played a major role in liberating the people of South Africa. “While practising as a traditional healer, he provided accommodation and gave financial support to many comrades who pretended to be his patients in transit to Zimbabwe and Zambia. He is a true son of the soil.”
Tshikovha added that it was an honour for him to be part of the current government, "which recognizes our indigenous knowledge. During the previous dispensation, we were called witch doctors, a name that degraded and ashamed us. Our role is to save lives and I’m happy that my 60 years of practising as a traditional healer are recognized here today.”
