Mozambique Traditional medics :see series of traffic accidents as “supernatural” problem – Watch

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Mozambique Traditional medics :see series of traffic accidents as “supernatural” problem – Watch

10:18 CAT | 01 Sep 2022

Screen grab: TV Sucesso

The Association of Traditional Medics of Mozambique (Ametramo) yesterday pointed to supernatural causes as the reason for the frequent occurrence of road accidents in the same area of Estrada Nacional 1 (EN1), in the district of Manhiça, Maputo province, south of the country.

“Since accidents are not stopping, the Government will have to sit with us and authorise us to carry out the [traditional] work”, said Fernando Mate, president of Ametramo, in an allusion to rituals that are the pillar of beliefs of many Mozambicans.

According to Mate, the authorities have already held a traditional ceremony with local healers to stop the number of accidents, but the group “failed to solve the problem”, which the Amtramo presidente considers “supernatural”.

Fernando Mate was speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of the African Traditional Medicine Day in Maputo.

Over the past year, national highway number one (EN1) has been the scene of serious road accidents, mainly on the section that crosses Manhiça district (in the south of the country), with dozens of deaths, almost always involving public transport vehicles.

In July 2021, Manhiça district recorded the most serious accident ever on Mozambique’s roads, with 32 dead and 28 injured.

Traditional doctors, as healers are known in Mozambique, have been one of society’s resources as an alternative to conventional medicine and cooperate with the Ministry of Health.

In the country, some groups believe that traditional healers can cure diseases for which health professionals say there is no cure and even solve other problems.

But instead of supernatural causes, the Mozambican authorities have pointed to speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol as the main causes of accidents.

The road accident rates in Mozambique are classified as dramatic by several organizations.

On average, at least a thousand people die annually on the roads, according to data provided to Lusa by the Mozambican Association for Victims of Road Insecurity (Amviro).

You may watch the TV Sucesso report below, from 12:39.

Source: Lusa / TV Sucesso