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The Member of Parliament for Shamva South Joseph Mapiki says many Zimbabwean women are contracting cervical and various other types of cancers from traditional medicines, herbs or drugs that they use in ‘enhancing or restoration of their virginity’.
He made the statement yesterday while contributing to a parliamentary debate on cancer awareness programmes and modern cancer treatment equipment acquired for Mpilo and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
“If you ask the men that are in this House, they know the herbs. What we need to know is that the Standards Association should only come up with a dosage that is being given to the patient to see if it will not damage the patient. The words of Hon. Khupe, a lot of people are suffering from cancer of the colon, cervical cancer and various other types of cancer.
“There should be proper education Mr. Speaker in terms of women about the other medicines, herbs or drugs that they use in ‘enhancing or restoration of their virginity’. These are the drugs or herbs that are causing cancer. Such knowledge should be spread to the people so that people should not go far to look for medication for treatment. We need modern technology, we need expertise because of technology.
“There are ways and means that can be used to treat cancer. As Zimbabweans, we should place a lot of money into research which we will then ride on as a country. We are now able to research, whether as a desk into what other countries are doing.
“We have a Committee on health and this Committee should also behave like what they are doing in other countries and they should not just give us a report that skates on the periphery. It should not be just like a 90% AIDS infection and cancer. We want them to investigate into how best they can tackle the issue of cancer,” he said.
Apparently, contributing to the same matter, Kwekwe MP Perseverance Zhou demanded Mapiki to withdraw his statement alleging that Mapiki’s claim that women were getting cancer from virginity tigghtening herbs has not been clinically proven.
“HON. P. ZHOU: I was touched by the words that were said by the previous Hon. Member that women should be enhanced so that they do not use certain herbs for them to maintain their “virginity.” When was that research done?
“How many women were involved and how many women have used such medicines? How many women did he encounter who were using such herbs? If he has got no evidence, may he withdraw that statement.
The Speaker of Parliament objected: “Hon. Zhou, why did you not raise the objection when he was speaking. You allowed Hon. Mapiki to go on and on until he finished speaking?
“THE HON. SPEAKER: He is through with his debate, so it is done. This one is difficult to rule on. Our female folks do go under and I am aware of that, but some of the concoctions that are applied at the designated area – [HON. MEMBERS: Laughter] – that is why I said it is difficult. Concoctions do work for the intended objective.
“They do work and it is a practice among us African people to strengthen and ensure that the designated area remains very intact. – [Laughter.] – Now, do not ask me for what reason. It is an issue which vanatete, obabakazi can answer, but the practice is there.”
The Speaker went on to say that research has shown Mapiki’s statement to be true.
“The only problem is that sometimes the applied concoction can have negative effects if it is a wrong concoction to be applied. This has definitely caused some cancer of the cervix and the doctors have researched on that, including the late Dr. Chavhunduka who was the guru on traditional medicines and so on. So, I am in a difficult position to rule against Hon. Mapiki to withdraw the statement because in some instances, what is applied has been proved that it does cause cervical cancer,” said the Speaker.
Pelandaba MP Joe Tshuma called for more awareness around the subject saying when people begin to speak about cancer, normally that brings a lot of fear for the victim and even the family members because cancer, in most instances, has been deemed as a death sentence. He called for mindset adjustment and promotion of efforts in trying to come up with prevention measures more than anything else.
“In Zimbabwe, it is very unfortunate that most of the times, cancer is detected when it is already at a dangerous stage which is stage 4 and this is caused mainly by lack of resources, skilled people that are supposed to give us early diagnosis and prevention.
“As we debate this issue, we need to zero in on how Government, NGOs and private players can come together and we try to solidify a system whereby cancer can be detected when it is beginning. When it is detected early, you can actually cure it but when it is detected late, it would have gone all over and reproduce it cells and damaged a lot of things.
“I stand here to say this cannot just be left to individuals. Government must deliberately invest a lot of money into cancer. We cannot wish away that disease as Government. We need to be seen to be in the forefront. Right now, the pathetic situation about our cancer treatment situation in Zimbabwe is that we only have two public institutions that are doing that at Mpilo in Bulawayo and at Parirenyatwa in Harare.
“What happens to the person in Tsholotsho, Binga, Muzarabani, and Mutorashanga. We have actually condemned them to death. We need, as Government, to bring down these issues of treatment and diagnosis to village, ward, district, provincial and national level,” he said.
Zwnews
