By Bongiwe Dlamini | 2024-12-05

Police found lion and hippo fats, python skins, kudu horns, bushbuck skulls and warthog tails when they raided certain consultation huts, tindumba, in various parts of the country.

These items were confiscated and the owners arrested for being found in possession of these animal parts as stipulated by the Game Act of 1953. Most of those arrested were either herbalists or traditional healers.

Some of them have appeared at the Mbabane and Siteki courts and have been fined between E2 000 and E4 000.

President of the Witchdoctors Association Makhanya Makhanya has decried the entire exercise complaining that the raids are made in bad faith as they seem to be targeting traditional healers. This in turn affects service delivery to their clients.

Makhanya says some of the affected traditional healers claim that they bought the confiscated ‘protected game body parts’ in South Africa. He admitted that when they failed to obtain the necessary permits to either hunt or possess these parts, they opted to buy the items outside the country instead of poaching.

“I do not blame the police who conducted the raids, but the national commissioner who ordered them to,” stated the livid Makhanya, highlighting how they had also raised concerns with the  late national commissioner, William Dlamini.
He also criticised the timing of these raids as it is during Incwala saying that traditional healers play an important role in this sacred ceremony.

“Such is aimed at jeopardising our work and also humiliate us to our children who witness the ruthless police ransack our workstations,” he said.

He further noted that traditional healing was emaSwati’s way of life that should not cease on account of laws that do not favour free practice of the ‘tradition’.  

Makhanya is yet to meet with the National Commissioner, Manoma Vusi Masango, as Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati has confirmed.

Vilakati acknowledged receiving communication from traditional healers who are concerned about this issue and says Makhanya has been invited to the police head office for discussions.
Vilakati noted that the operation dubbed ‘Operation Thunder’ was not locally initiated and is not aimed at frustrating local traditional healers.

Instead, she said it was a joint law enforcement operation coordinated by INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Programme (ENS) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) with the backing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).

The objectives of the month-long operation, according to Vilakati, included coordinating cross-border and cross-agency law enforcement efforts and information sharing to detect and deter wildlife crimes.

It also aimed at effecting maximum intelligence-led seizures of illegal trafficked wildlife and forestry products, including based on previously acquired intelligence from affected member countries.

‘Operation Thunder’ is further aimed at creating risk profiles on illegal wildlife and forestry activities, and update and improve on the existing one for long-term use at national levels.

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