A mini dissertation submitted in partial fulfillments for
the degree of master of Environmental Education in the
department of Comparative and Science Education at
the University of Zululand, 2006. / Most tribes in South Africa still make use oftraditional medicines and use prescriptions ofherbs
and other natural materials (Matsiliza and Barker 2001). Medicinal plants from Northern
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), particularly areas such as UIundi, Empangeni, Eshowe Mtubatuba and
Nongoma are no exception and are a constituent of a traditional culture. The informal trade in
indigenous plants for medicinal use (umuthi) is growing constantly (Mander, 1998). There are
many reasons for this, including an expanding population coupled with modernisation of society
that is hastened by the development of roads, improved communication methods and the
migration of people from villages to cities. The prohibitive cost of modern medicines, together
with the high rate of unemployment is forcing many people to revert to traditional medicines and
even to gather and sell medicinal plants as a living. This results in over-exploitation of some
plant species, sometimes to the brink ofextinction (Matsiliza and Barker 2001). This study aims
at investigating the implications of plant harvests that are sold at bus ranks in northern KwaZuluNatal,
and at identifYing target species for threatened plant programmes with the help of data
gathered via direct interviews with medicinal plant sellers. It also aims at identifying and
remedying knowledge gaps that may exist among plant gatherers about propagation techniques
applicable to the medicinal plants they harvest.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/165 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Ndawonde, Busisiwe Gude |
| Contributors | Dlamini, E.T. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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