Browsing by Author "Muzumbukilwa, Wilondja."

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Challenges and prospects of the national indigenous knowledge systems policy in integrating African traditional medicines into the public healthcare system in South Africa.
(2024) Muzumbukilwa, Wilondja.; Kaya, Hassan Omari.
Using a mixed method approach, the study investigated the challenges and prospects of the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy (2004) in integrating African Traditional Medicines into the public healthcare system in South Africa. African Traditional Medicines (ATM) and healing systems are increasingly recognized as an important aspect of the primary public healthcare delivery system within and outside South Africa. This is primarily the case in predominantly rural and marginalized communities with limited conventional healthcare services. ATM and healing systems are integral to African cultures and local knowledge systems. The study used a comparative case study and participatory approach, focusing on the uGu and uMkhanyakude District Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study aimed to understand the knowledge and perceptions of local communities as healers and clients, regarding the prospects and challenges of the implementation of the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Policy (2004), with special reference to ATM. The study followed a comparative approach of two district municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, with different ecological systems, i.e. uGu and uMkhanyakude District Municipalities. The comparative approach was chosen due to ATMs' cultural and ecological specificity, with uMkhanyakude District in the north of the province having an arid environment and uGu in the south being tropical. These ecological differences were considered critical in assessing traditional medicinal knowledge and healing practices. The study suggested that these ecological differences must be considered when implementing the IKS Policy (2004). Findings revealed that ATM use was prevalent in rural and marginalized communities of both district municipalities, mainly due to limited conventional healthcare services, and the affordability, accessibility, and cultural acceptability of ATM, especially among marginalized communities and social groups such as women, children, and the elderly. However, the majority of traditional healthcare practitioners and their clients in both district municipalities were not ware of the existence of the National IKS Policy (2004). The study recommended the following: 1. Because substantial numbers of ordinary people in African local communities, including the study areas, onsulted ATHPs for primary healthcare, this study suggests the great need for more comparative, culturally and ecologically specific research studies to understand the significance of this healthcare and associated local community-based knowledge systems in advancing healthcare, social and epistemic justice. 2. The limited knowledge and awareness among various stakeholders, including ATHPs, regarding policy frameworks related to IKS and ATM, calls for a deeper investigation of specific challenges commonly encountered by ATHPs and their clients across South Africa. This investigation should also explore the implications for policy development and implementation. 3. Finally, a critical review of existing legislation and active engagement with relevant policymakers to address the challenges of integrating African traditional medicine into the public healthcare system is recommended for future studies.
The impact of government migration policies on foreigners known as "Amakwerekwere" in South Africa.
(2007) Muzumbukilwa, Wilondja.; Cebekhulu, Elias.
The actual research focuses on foreign migrants dwelling in the Point area of Durban. This work is aiming at determining whether migration policies negatively impact on foreigners in South Africa; assessing the positive contribution made by foreigners on both the formal and the informal economy of South Africa; and recommending progressive policy and corrective measures of resolving foreign influx in South Africa. The qualitative approach adopted in this study facilitates the examination of the respondents' experiences as migrants in the Point Area. The findings of this study show that fear of foreigners has reached a new level in South Africa and with the transition to democracy; South Africa has become a destination for a number of documented and undocumented immigrants and migrants who, looking for a better life, have found instead, a country in which xenophobia is rife. As a democratic country, South Africa finds its self facing a dilemma: on one hand it promotes democracy, human rights and African integration, on the other; it faces an increase in xenophobia. Within this context, this study evaluates the extent to which the ANC government's im/migration policy and the implementation thereof contribute to xenophobia. Migration systems theory is used to develop a theoretical framework for the analysis. This study also discusses the context of immigration in South Africa on three angles; the international, the regional and the national angle.