Traditional medical practitioners urged to formalise operations

Mutsawashe Mashandure
Herald Correspondent
The Traditional Medical Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (TMPCZ) has called on all unregistered traditional medical practitioners to register with the council before the end of March.
This comes as part of the council’s efforts to regulate the sector and ensure compliance with the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act.
In a statement released today, the council outlined the 12 categories of practitioners and institutions that are required to register.
“These include faith healers, traditional healers, spirit mediums, birth attendants, herbalists, traditional surgeries, training institutions, distributors of traditional medicines, herbal gardens, faith healing churches, manufacturers of traditional medicine products, and foreign and local organisations involved in traditional medicine,” reads the statement.
The council emphasised that the registration process is in line with the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act, Chapter 27:14, which was amended in 2022.
“Any person who is not registered as a traditional medical practitioner shall be guilty of an offence and will be liable to a fine not exceeding level eight or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both the fine and imprisonment,” reads the statement.
“We are calling on all practitioners to comply with the law and register by the end of March 2025. This is not only a legal obligation but also a step towards professionalising and standardising traditional medicine in Zimbabwe.”
The council, a public entity under the Ministry of Health and Child Care, also urged practitioners to view the registration process as an opportunity to contribute to the formalisation of the sector.
“By registering, practitioners will be recognised as legitimate service providers, and their work will be integrated into the national health system,” the council said.
The council’s move is seen as a step towards ensuring the safety of traditional medical practices through protecting the public from unqualified practitioners.