Department disapproves of Operation Dudula's activities at health facilities
The operation has been targeting foreign nationals in public health facilities, alleging they are placing additional pressure on an already stretched health care system.
'As the department, we have noted the ongoing protest action happening around our health care facilities by members of Operation Dudula and other organised groups.
'We do not condone these actions, which serve to interfere with the provision of health care services in our health facilities,' health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
Mohale said the concern of Operation Dudula was a societal issue.
'It is not mainly about health, but we believe that with sober minds we can find a long-lasting solution,' he said.
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This is because most healers use a very diverse suite of species, Botha says. 'It's really important that they're able to access them legally without having to worry about being arrested if someone is caught with a bag of plants.' Hope lies in collaboration and the pepper-bark project is proof that the EWT is not only conserving a species but also reinforcing community agency, cultural heritage and sustainable livelihoods. Crucially, this conservation initiative is not about imposing modern conservation ideas — it's about reawakening ancient knowledge and co-creating solutions. 'Traditional healers are as passionate about sustainability as we are and in fact, I found that most community groups are,' Botha says. 'It's a myth that people don't actually care about the environment because they come from a different background, whether it's socio-economic or cultural. The healers are as enthusiastic about the work we do as we are.' This deep ancestral and spiritual connection with nature runs through most traditional healers' views of the environment. 'People, generally, in our modern society are losing our connections to nature because of technological advancements etcetera. More of us are more fixated on our phones or the latest gadget than we are concerned about walking in nature and experiencing nature in the way that perhaps was more easily accessible to people in the past.' One part of the programme's mission is to help people reconnect with nature, whether through visiting a botanical garden or walking in a local nature reserve. 'That deep spiritual connection that people have with the land, in this case particularly the healers … it's a case of reconnecting with nature and rekindling those relationships so that we in that way are able to foster more care for the planet.' It's incredibly inspiring work, she says. 'I don't think there's been a day where I haven't learned something new or a day where I haven't met amazing people or reconnected with amazing people from all walks of life.' Plants have been valued for their curative powers for millennia, not only as traditional medicines, but also in conventional medicine. 'Achieving our goals to reduce threats to species of conservation concern at scale will clearly take time and collaborative efforts across partner organisations and sectors to enable us to synergise our resources and share the knowledge, understanding and collective effort that is required to avert extinctions.' Critically, the needs of the poorest consumers, who depend on these plants for their healthcare, must be at the forefront. 'Many simply cannot afford more expensive alternatives and it is vital that we co-develop strategies to cultivate plants that are both affordable and aligned to the cultural protocols associated with the use of these medicines, so that their therapeutic values are retained or even, in some instances, restored.' People from all walks of life, including traditional healers, don't want to see the loss of their own natural resources. 'They value them in most cases for the intrinsic value of the plant as well as the fact that it is part of their livelihoods,' Botha adds.
