an investigation into the antibacterial activities of medicinal plants ...

South Africa has an estimated 200 000 indigenous traditional healers who are
commonly known as inyanga’s (herbalists) and sangomas (diviners) which forms the
backbone of primary health care in Africa (Van Wyk et al. 1997). Most tribes in South
Africa use medicinal plants and other material that is mostly indigenous to the region
where they practice for preparation of traditional remedies (Matsiliza & Barker, 2001).
Some people especially in the rural communities rely completely on the healing
properties of traditional medicinal plants provided by herbalism. Other people refer to
herbalism only on certain occasions as alternatives to allopathic medicine or in
combination with other therapeutic regimes. The use, dosage and preparation
methods of medicinal plants are usually provided by traditional herbalists (inyanga’s)
in rural communities (Matsiliza & Barker, 2001).
For many Africans living in rural communities where there is irregular income and
rising medical costs, therapeutic herbalism has become a dependant way of health
care (Stanley, 2004). The popularity of herbalism is not restricted to rural
communities, but there has been a worldwide upsurge in the interest and preference
to traditional herbalism. The worldwide revival of herbalism may be attributed to
people taking a more holistic view in maintaining human well being (Kong et al.,
2003).
In the Eastern Cape people still depend to a large extent on traditional herbal
medicine for the treatment of various diseases and ailments. A study revealed 38
plant species, which are commonly used for the treatment of wounds by traditional
healers and the indigenous people of the Eastern Cape province (Grierson &
Afolayan, 1999b).
Indigenous health care traditions are centred on the particular skills of an individual
practitioner. Training of an individual practitioner may occur as a result of
apprenticeship to an experienced herbalist, spiritual ancestral calling or through
informal learning from a close family member (Bodeker, 2001,
http://www.conserveafrica.org/medicinal_plants.rtf). Prominent features of traditional
healers include a deep personal involvement in the healing process, the protection of
therapeutic knowledge by keeping it secret and a deeply rooted knowledge of the
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