Indigenous Knowledge System Vs Traditional Healers

Indigenous knowledge system refers to bodies of knowledge, skills, teaching and beliefs produced locally by people in their specific cultural communities and environment to maintain and improve their livelihood. For many years traditional healers in South Africa and Africa played a virtual role in the health care system. Research has estimated that between 70% and 80% of black people in South Africa in rural and urban areas consult with traditional healers before they can consult Western doctors (Bodibe, 1993: Ramgoon et al, 2011). Ashforth define traditional healing as holistic in its approach and embodies the collective wisdom of indigenous knowledge handed down over many generations (Ashforth, 2005). Traditional healers like medical doctors

International and particularly Western opinion has been condemning towards the integration of traditional health care practice and health care system which they refer to as unscientific (Dunlop 1975; Van Eeden 1993) therefore from this argument I can say Western worldview is suppressing the idea that many South African tend to seek help from traditional healers and that traditional healers play a significant role not only with herbs but by passing this indigenous knowledge to generations and generation. However this view is challenged by some researchers such as (Green. 1988) who argues that such negativity by Western health care practitioners is no longer valid due to the development of professionalism among traditional African healers. In addition to this argument it is stated that traditional healers are becoming more organized and advanced in their practice and they are trusted by their clients. Given the above information some of the Western practitioners with Western worldview have attempted to overpower the African spirit, one of the attempts made was to shame traditional healers and healing method calling them barbaric and backward. Regardless of Westernastion of Africans through urbanisation traditional healers and healing models are regarded as a myth and not existing (Blaustein, 1992; Bye & Dutton, 1991). In conclusion according to my own view Western worldview need to be taught about our indigenous practices as South Africans through research for them to be able to understand our way of living. In addition to my statement traditional healers have a lot of experience to offer in the Western practices for example some diseases such as high blood pressure can be treated or controlled by both Western medicine and African herbs that is the reason we have many herbalists who use indigenous