- Any person interested in membership with the THO would have to belong to any of the 4 categories mentioned below. You will be expected to at least have studied and served within the sector for 2 years and more if you are a fully trained practitioner in traditional medicine.
- should you be an initiate (ithwasa) ensure that your Gobela is aware you have registered so that you may participate in training and that the Gobela also has to assist in continous guide and support exercises
- for number 1 and 2 to register they need to complete a character reference form which is either completed by any leader in your community who is also credible, a patient,you have treated and sure of your good work and a letter from a competent and truthful healer in your community who has known you for 2 years and above
- once the above is completed, then you may down load the THO membership application form , complete and forward to our Administration office which will then refer to the Trainig & Education department which will eventually train you in your local area before qualifying for membership
How much is membership fee?
Due to the socio-economic challenges that the THO is faced with on a day to day basis and also the amount of demand for quality service delivery by membership. The organisation then resolved at its February 2009 Conference to review this amount. We then resolved that at least a R90. be changed as membership fee. Practitioners wanting to register with the organisation should at least provide us with 3 specific diseases they know and know well to treat and cure.
Where does this money go?
Membership fees are largely used in office maintenance and generally cover Administration costs.
Who qualifies for membership at THO?
The Traditional Healers Organisation (THO) only authorise the following pracitioners to be members of the organisation. These include the:-
diviners / sangoma
herbalists/ ochaya
traditional surgeons / 'Ingcibi
Traditional Birth Attendants / umbelethisi
As an organisation we have decided to focus on only these 4 aspects of healing considering the way in which they apply their trade. All the above practitioners use traditional medicine (the science) when healing patients.. Unlike, Spiritual Faith healers who only use pure water for healing and nothing scientific is added on such healing. At THO we realised that for the profession to be taken seriously there is need for all members to follow a certain ethical code and this does not regard faith healing as the only answer to healing but, rather apply religion in all our daily life when within and without our practice. Our belief in the body, mind, emotions and soul suggest that faith healing is one important component of healing and once left out, our healing is not whole however, it can never be administered alone but in partnership with other scientific applications in healing.
Is THO accredited?
Yes, THO is an accredited service provider with the HWSETA. Details on our accreditation number can be accessed in our main website under the background / mission section. However, we do run some course which are not accredited but are again in the pulpline for accreditation. We have trained and competent Assessors and Moderators.
Don'ts
THO does not award herbalists who might have studied in a herbalism college, an membership because our belief is that those practitioners do not directly account to the Traditional Health Practitioner's Act but rather have a home within the Allied Health Practitioners Council and may as well affiliate directly to the HPASA.
Why become a member?
As our slogan says "Unity is strength", the THO still believes in the power of numbers and therefore invite all potential members to participate in training and awareness prgrammes we organise. You will learn better and more if you network with other specialists and boGobela, at times you need numbers to be respected and heard and at THO we have the capacity to provide you with that kind of support.We host 4 Educational seminars a year, 1 nationally and the other 3 are held in provinces with capacity to host in that year. Being the largest and most vocal organisation, we are in a better position to lobby support from Government, the private sector and the civil society. In essence, we are the Winning team.
Where can i get Membership Application forms?
Membership registration forms can be collected from the office through communicating with our Administrator , Mr. Greaves Mufamadi on:<mufamadig@webmail.co.za>, should he take time to respond, then kindly contact the office on 011 337 6177
As an employer, can i accept a sick note from a healer?
Offcourse, yes! As long as that healer comes from a credible institution such as the THO, there is no way you can not accept such a sicknote. Note that it is not the fault of the healer not to provide a Council approved sick note but rather blame it on the colonial mentality of the government which thinks that healers do not deserve to be supported and their profession recognised, since 2007, The Healer and the organisation has done all possible in its powers, but government has failed to take up its role. Employers should put more pressure on government and not on the employee because it would mean that the employee's right to choice of treatment and freedom to practice a cultural life of chooice will be compromised. All employees who have undergone such humilliation should contact the THO and also request their shopstewards to assist them team up with us, in this regard. We exist to make your life easier!
How to access a THO membership database?
To be frank, we do not give out our database due to the confidentiality agreement we have signed with members. However, should you need a database, feel free to partner with the THO in a project that will ultimately open access for you to have such details. This is very important because a number of employers and labour organisations have approached us with this need, but do not see the importance of a partnership.In such cases, there is nothing we give out for there is nothing we also recieve. THO philosophy is work with us to know us better, from that experience then you can start reporting to funders about who we are and what challenges we continue to face.
Could i do research with THO?
Yes, you probably may. This is if the research will assist toward Practitioners' development and that of the community at large. Firstly, you will need to send us a proposal with details of the research project and indicate how such a project will assist in our development, mention key role players. Once the proposal is clear of what you intend doing then you will be given a minimum of 7-14 days before recieving a response. You will then be given a clear procedure on some of the does and dont's in research. We have decided to take this route due to the amount of humilliation and abuse that we had to endure in years, from institutions who were claiming to do research to develop communities, when in fact they were stealing our knowledge to give to the White masters. Academic institutions like wise have also done equal damage.
Professors and Doctors in institutions of higher learning have received many awards in most cases based on the number of information they stole from indigenous communities, while these communities remained poor and poorer each year. The same researcher then comes back to tell us how much of witches and barbaric people we are. TODAY, not anymore. Researcher should apply to do research in indigenous knowledge with DEAT and complete the NEMBA forms. Upon following such processes will we then participate, proof of submission will then be given to the healers and the organisation.
What healers expect from the researcher?
Compensation of time spent in the research process (30 minutes - R250)
compensation of knowledge will be determined by the details of the proposal, once the proposal does not indicate the actual objectives, then the practitioner may be forced to withdraw from the exercise as it would mean that the Researcher is not ethical.
If a product has been developed, lawyers would have to be involved and among other benefits, the practitioner would have to acquire a good stake from the royalties of the product sales.
Please note that your proposal may be turned down due to limited information provided or certain concerns raised by the practitioner/s and their communities.
We hope that the above information will assist in clearing some of the concerns we get on a daily basis.
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