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TSUNAMANIA!
Talk of any illness and you will be asked: Have you tried tsunami?
Tsunami seems to be the answer to many illnesses and surprisingly it is not only limited to countering western medicines, but even the traditionalists are using it to cure and deal with bad spirits or goblins.
It is also not limited to human beings, but is also being used on livestock.
Nowadays the cost of medicines is beyond the reach of many as it is sold in foreign currency and this has forced some people to turn to herbs.
Herbs are also not that cheap as the traditionalists have also increased their prices due to the high cost of living and a survey at Umkambo in Makokoba confirmed that most herbs are pegged at $5 and upwards.
After all has been said and done with the high cost of herbal and western medicines, people have been forced to turn to the affordable tsunami which costs $2 and $1,40 at wholesale price.
Tsunami is said to work wonders and heals many ailments.
Speaking to one distributor of tsunami who spoke on condition of anonymity, he said it’s a Chinese product.
“Tsunami is a Chinese herbal extracted from natural plants such as camphor wood and mint, mixed using high technology.
“It cures instantly and has no side effects. It cures a lot of diseases and I cannot mention all of them, only to name a few they include flue, colds, nasal congestion, headaches, muscle soreness, abdominal pains, toothaches and repelling mosquitoes.”
She revealed that there is brisk business for tsunami which used to cost only 50 cents, but due to its high demand they increased the price.
Though the distributor said it does not have side effects, the instruction leaflet highlights in bold letters that it cannot be used as a pharmaceutical product and clients are encouraged to consult doctors if the symptom is not relieved after a week.
On the other hand, traditionalists are also using the affordable tsunami to deal with goblins.
“Cleansing someone’s homestead costs a minimum of $400 bond because we have to use a number of herbs and products of certain animals. Getting all those is costly.
“At least one can easily get tsunami and because of its punchy smell we can mix it with other herbs to deal with goblins. At times you just pour it in water and sprinkle it, chasing away goblins,” said Gogo Mahlangu.
Despite its magic effect, it turns out tsunami is not legal and was not approved for sale in Zimbabwe by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe and that is the reason it’s only sold on the streets and mostly in Chinese shops.
“We do not know how safe it is to use tsunami because the product was not tested and approved. It has to go through some channels of being assessed and check if it’s fit for consumption,” a pharmacist Mr Noel Nyathi said.
On the tsunami’s leaflet, pregnant women and disabled children under the age of one are forbidden from using it.
Tsunami became a hit after the Chinese green tea which was also said to be having medicinal properties that treated various ailments.
derick.khumalo