Traditional herbs at risk of extinction - Setilo
Banyatsi Setilo, the Chairperson of the Botswana Dingaka Association has called on traditional healers to form clusters and build gardens in which they will plant medicinal plants to avoid extinction of some species.
Speaking during a consultative forum with Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH), Setilo said it is important to plant these trees in gardens because traditional healers often get in conflict with government due to certain laws that regulate harvesting of certain plants in some areas.
“It is about time we have our own gardens where we will plant medicinal trees because these trees are slowly getting extinct due to over harvesting.”
He appealed to Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) to help with innovation and technology to collect these trees from their natural habitats.
“Most of the trees I use come from Tswapong. If BIH could have them in their garden, they could be selling them to us at a minimal fee. Botanic gardens could be used to generate income for government and also preserve extinction of some plant species.”
Setilo said there should be a legislative instrument which regulates harvesting of medicinal plants.
“Currently everyone harvests in whatever manner they wish and this increases the risk of extinction of plants. If there was a legislative instrument there could be someone who would be
able to hold people accountable.”
Currently uninformed people in urban areas earn money through selling the medicinal plants but they do not know how to do sustainable harvesting.
Department of Forestry and Range Resources Director, Baitshephi Babusi-Hill said department of Forestry does not issue licenses to traditional healers only but to all Batswana.
“Our indigenous knowledge is secretive, they never open up and seek permission to go harvest some plants. If they need certain plants which they want to use for healing purposes they just go and collect.
“Permits are normally given for common plants like Sengaparile and Mahupu plants which are commonly known for their healing properties. But we normally deal with cases where people collect some plants in large quantities like Sengaparile, this is the plant that is at risk of extinction because people are now exporting it.”
She said to regulate collection of these plants department of forestry has agreement with some elders in communities who monitor the collection of the plant.
Botswana Innovation Hub
plans to develop a botanical garden to conserve some traditional trees and herbs which are mainly used for medicinal purposes by traditional healers.
BUAN Senior Instructor highlighted that it is the responsibility of every Motswana to preserve natural resources and indigenous knowledge.
“it is our desire to see our traditional medicines in pharmacies. We see people from other countries reaping millions from selling their traditional herbs but we don’t make money from our own”.