After Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980, Dr. Herbert Ushewokunze, a medical doctor by training, emerged as one of the key figures in reshaping the country’s health landscape by advocating for the formal recognition of traditional healers. Under colonial rule, traditional medicine had been marginalized and its practitioners branded as sorcerers or witches. Dr. Ushewokunze, together with sociologist Dr. Gordon Chavhunduka, led efforts to integrate traditional healing into the national health system, promoting it as an affordable and culturally grounded alternative to conventional clinical medicine.

Their advocacy gained momentum in September 1980 when nearly 3,000 traditional healers gathered to establish a unified body representing their interests. Although an earlier attempt had been made with the formation of the African N’anga Organization in 1957, colonial restrictions had rendered it ineffective. The 1980 meeting marked a turning point, with Dr. Chavhunduka elected as the founding president, despite not being a healer himself, due to his strong support for indigenous knowledge systems. Supported by reform-minded professionals such as Drs. Ushewokunze and Mazorodze, this movement led to the creation and official recognition of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA), setting the foundation for the coexistence of modern and traditional healthcare practices in Zimbabwe.

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