Umfundi NoMfundisi Wase-UKZN Wakudala Usekhaleni Lempi Yokufukula Izindlela Zokwelapha Zomdabu

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Njengoba i-Afrika ibigubha uSuku lwe-Afrika, iNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali (UKZN) igqamisa eminye yemisebenzi ehamba phambili eqhakambisa ubungqabavu bobuhlakani base-Afrika, ukuqamba okusha kanye nezinhlelo zolwazi lwendabuko njengoba iNyuvesi iqhubeka nokuzimisela ukuba ngesinye sezikhungo ezihamba phambili kwezocwaningo ezwenikazi lase-Afrika.

I-UKZN isiqinise indawo yayo ngokuhola ekuthuthukiseni ucwaningo lwezinhlelo zolwazi lwendabuko yase-Afrika kanye nemithi yesintu. Kudala ngaphambi kokuthi umhlaba wonke ubone isidingo sokushintshela ekwelapheni ngezindlela ezididiyele, i-UKZN yabona ukubaluleka kwezindlela zokwelapha zesintu yabayivulandlela ekuvaleni igebe phakathi kwezindlela zokwelapha ngesintu nezesilungu ngocwaningo, ukufundisa nokubambisana nezinye izinhlaka. Ekhaleni lalo mkhankaso bewuSolwazi Nceba Gqaleni, omsebenzi wakhe ubeke le Nyuvesi eqhulwini lokudidiyela ukwelapha ngokwesintu kwezempilo eNingizimu Afrika nakwamanye amazwe.

Ithuba ayengalilindele uGqaleni, owenza iziqu zobudokotela kwiBhayokhemistri e-University of Strathclyde (eScotland) neMasitazi yeBhayokhemistri eNyuvesi yaseNatali (esibizwa ngeNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali),  wayehlose ukuzifundisela kodwa wazithola eseqhulwini lomsebenzi omqoka. Namuhla lesi sifundiswa sihola umkhankaso wokwenza ukuthi izindlela zokulapha zomdabu zikhona endleleni yokwelapha yesimanjemanje.

Ngaphambi kokuthi i-UKZN ibenombono wokufaka izindlela zokwelapha zomdabu ezifundweni zayo, iminyaka engamakhulukhulu yenqubo yobukoloni nengamashumishumi yobandlululo kwakubeyimbangela yokuthi izindlela zokwelapha zesintu azinakiwe, zibukelwa phansi futhi zithathwa ngokuthi ziyisidala kanti ezesilungu zazibekwe esicongweni, ziqhakanjiswa. Lokhu kwabayimbangela yokuthi kubenokungathembani nokubukelana phansi phakathi kwabelaphi besintu nabesilungu.

Ngenxa yaleli thuba, uSolwazi oBhekene noCwaningo eKwelapheni Ngezindlela Zomdabu noyiLungu le-World Health Organization Regional Expert: Committee on Traditional Medicine ubesekhaleni lempi yokuqinisekisa ukuthi ukwelapha ngesintu kusebenzisana nokwelapha ngesilungu ukuze kubenendlela ephelele yokwelapha iziguli.

Ngemva kokubuya e-Glasgow, e-Scotland, uGqaleni wayethole umsebenzi ukuba ngumfundisi osaqala ukufundisa ezomkhakha wakhe, iBhayochemistri.

Uma ebheka indlela aseyihambile ngaphambi kweNyanga Yase-Afrika, egujwa ngoNhlaba, uthi: “Umsebenzi wami uhambe ngendlela engangingayilindele. Ngathola umsebenzi eSikoleni soBudokotela. Nganginentshisekelo yokubona ukuthi singazifaka kanjani izindlela zomdabu ekugwemeni izifo emfundweni yabafundi abenza iziqu zobudokotela, ngakho ngacelwa ukuthi ngibeyingxenye yalolu hlelo.”

Waqala kanjalo umsebenzi wokubayingqalabutho kaGqaleni okhonge ubuhlobo phakathi kwendlela yokwelapha yesilungu neyomdabu. Yaqala ngokuthi kucace ukuthi udokotela wesimanjemanje kufanele azi ukuthi ubumqoka bokwelapha ngesintu uma elapha isiguli esingumuntu. Kwakuzoqeqeshwa iziguli ezenza izifundo zobudokotela.

UGqaleni ukuthi izingxoxo zokuqala zaphakathi kweSikole soBudokotela saseNyuvesi (esibizwa nge-Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine) “zazinzima kakhulu” ngenxa yokuthi kunabelaphi ababengabathembi odokotela ngoba bekholwa wukuthi bafuna ukweba izimfihlo zabo. “Abelapha babuza ukuthi kungani iNyuvesi isinothando lokukhuluma nabo, ngobani manje? Bathi nifuna izimfihlo zethu, nina bacwaningi nifika nithathe amakhambi ethu ningaphinde nibuye.

“Ngathi kubona ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi aningazi, kodwa ngikhuliswe ngeqiniso. Ngiyanithembisa njengoba sakha lobu budlelwano ukuthi ngeke ngivume kwenzeke izinto ezinjalo. Kunoshintsho kubaphathi futhi kwanotshintsho endleleni yokwenza izinto. Sekunokuqonda ukuthi azibuye emasisweni. Kunesidingo sokufundisa abafundi bethu ngezinto zakithi.” Baqala kanjalo ubudlelwano bokuthembana kuze kubenamuhla.

Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi wazithola eseyinxusa leNyuvesi ezingxoxweni zayo nabelaphi bendabuko. Izingxoxo zaholela ekusayinweni kweSivumelwano Sokusebenziana phakathi koMnyango weZempilo waKwaZulu-Natali, iSikole soBudokotela nabelaphi bendabuko.

Ngobusuku bokusayinwa kwesivumelwano ngonyaka wezi-2000, lapho okwakukhona izikhulu zoMnyango weZempilo zesifundazwe nezezwe nabanye abalingani, Isilo esesakhothama u-Goodwill Zwelithini sasho into eyamthinta uGqaleni. “Sathi iSikole soBudokotela besihamba phambili ekuthuthukiseni ukwelapha ngesilungu. Ukwelapha ngokwesintu kulinyazwe yinqubo yobukoloni nobandlululo. Ngifisa ukuthi lokhu kusayina namuhla kubeyisiqalo sokuthuthukiswa kwendlela yokulapha ngokwesintu.”

Ngonyaka wezi-2007 i-National Research Foundation noMnyango weSayensi noBuchwepheshe basungula i-Research Chair in Indigenous Health Care Systems ukuthi ihambe phambili ocwaningweni nasekufundiseni abafundi abenza iziqu ezinkulu. Ngenxa yalokhu, i-UKZN yakhipha indawo kaNokusho yokwenza ucwaningo seSayensi YezeMpilo ekhempasini eseHoward College, okwenza ukuthi uGqaleni agxile ekubeni ngusolwazi wocwaningo. “SabanguSihlalo woKwelapha Ngesintu wokuqala ezweni,” kusho yena.

Phakathi kweminye yemisebenzi eyenziwa wuMkhakha Wokwelapha Ngesintu kukhona ucwaningo, ukushicilela incwadi ebizwa nge-“Foundations of African Traditional Medicine, A Nguni Perspective; ukwenza izifundo zabelaphi bendabuko zesandulelangculazi nokusebenza kwezincwadi zodokotela ezigunyazwe nguMnyango weZeMpilo abelaphi abakwazi ukuzinika iziguli zakhe.

Namuhla umsebenzi wabo usufaka nabafundi be-Pharmacy abenza unyaka wesine. Uthe: “Siletha abelaphi bendabuko bazokhuluma nabafundi ngokuthi basebenza kanjani, okusiza kakhulu. Sixhaswa yiSETA yoMnyango wezeMpilo noweZenhlalakahle ngemali ukuqeqesha abahlengikazi abasebenza emitholampilo, okubenemiphumela emihle.”

Umkhakha wabelaphi bendabuko awuwuvali umlomo ngomsebenzi omuhle we-UKZN ekuthuthukiseni lobu budlelwano bokusebenzisana. UMnu Musa Cele, inyanga noNobhala we-KZN Traditional Health Practitioners’ Forum, emele izifunda ezili-11 esifundazweni, uthi waqala ukusebenza neNyuvesi noGqaleni kusukela ngonyaka wezi-2002. “I-UKZN ibineqhaza futhi iyaqhubeka ukubaneqhaza lokufaka izindlela zokwelapha ngesintu. Obunye ubuhle balo msebenzi kubewuhlelo lokuthi iziguli zingayalelwa wudokotela ukuya enyangeni noma inyanga iyalelele umuntu ukuthi aye kudokotela uma kunesidingo.

“UGqaleni ungumlandeli omkhulu womkhakha wabelaphi bendabuko. Ngenxa yobudlelwano ngonyaka wezi-2024, iNingizimu Afrika isigubha i-Africa Traditional Medicine Week ngomhla wama-31 kuNcwaba, eyasungulwa e-Burkina Faso. Sibenemisebenzi eminingi ngokubambisana eminyakeni edlule, lapho i-UKZN ibisekhaleni layo,” kusho yena.

UCele uphethe ngokuthi: “Kusukela ekusesekeni, okubalwa kukhona ukuhlola amakhambi esintu emagunjini okwenza ucwaningo nokusimema ukuthi sizofundisa abafundi baphesheya nokukhangisa ngomsebenzi wethu Ezimbuzini Herbal Market eMlazi, manje i-UKZN isidlulisele izintambo eMangosuthu University of Technology kanti manje isizidlulisele e-University of Zululand.”

Amagama: wuLanga Khanyile

Izithombe: wuSethu Dlamini