Refrain from traditional healers – Dr Kamwi

Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 10 September 2009

MINISTER of Health and Social Services Dr Richard Kamwi has appealed to Namibians to shun visiting “traditional healers”.

Speaking after Informanté had appraised him on its investigation into the crooked ways of bogus traditional healers, Dr Kamwi said he “detests” what the healers are doing.

“I am appealing to Namibians to please refrain from going to ‘traditional healers’. These people are just here to rob Namibians, fellow Namibians should not listen to these bogus healers.

“I detest what they are doing. How can they claim to give someone wealth when they don’t even have a bicycle themselves or cure impotency when there are no people to show whom they have treated. These people also do not have work permits and should be reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Stephanus Mogotsi, said his Ministry has just embarked on a verification exercise to try and stamp out the bogus healers who are operating without work permits.

“These people have never applied for work permits to operate as traditional or spiritual healers here and hence they are operating illegally. They don’t apply for work permits because they come as visitors. They have never ever before applied for work permits. They come mostly from SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) countries misusing our immigration laws which waiver visas for them.

“Our officials will apprehend them as quickly as possible, by following up on the addresses they use when advertising in newspapers,” Mogotsi warned.