Pretoria – City of Tshwane staffers who receive a spiritual calling to undergo Ukuthwasa, training as traditional healers, are now entitled to special leave.
Earlier this month, the City of Tshwane approved a policy granting special leave to employees who need to undergo ukuthwasa, the training to become a traditional healer.
Ukuthwasa is a traditional African practice that involves a spiritual calling and initiation process for individuals chosen by their ancestors to become healers or diviners.
Commenting on the matter, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng on Wednesday, (9 April 2025), said it “welcomed the City of Tshwane’s decision to allow spiritual initiates to take leave while doing Ukuthwasa training”.
The EFF which championed the move, said it was a significant affirmation of the rich cultural and spiritual tapestry that defines South African society.
“It reflects a conscious and commendable move towards embracing indigenous knowledge systems and the critical role that traditional healers continue to play in our societies,” the EFF said.
“The City of Tshwane must be applauded for recognising that ukuthwasa is not merely a personal journey but a communal calling that serves the health and spiritual well-being of our people and communities.”
The political party said, in granting special leave for this purpose, the City affirms that African cultural and spiritual practices were not inferior to Western paradigms.
The EFF said African practices were equal and valid forms of knowledge that deserve institutional protection and support.
The special leave for ukuthwasa was also affirmed by the Traditional Healers Organisation, as an important step in the long-overdue recognition of traditional healing as a legitimate and necessary component of South Africa’s broader healthcare system.
Supporters of the move said it goes some way in reversing the historical marginalisation and
demonisation of traditional healers, who have been forced to practice in the shadows under colonial and apartheid prejudice.
The EFF in Gauteng has called on all spheres of government and the private sector to emulate the City of Tshwane.
“Our cultural and spiritual identity must never be compromised at the altar of Eurocentric bureaucracy,” the EFF said.
“We must ensure that workplaces reflect the full spectrum of our people’s lived realities – including the right to honour ancestral callings without fear of economic exclusion or job insecurity.
“We further reiterate that traditional healers are not only custodians of ancient wisdom but
active agents in the health, unity, and moral fibre of our communities.
“As such, they must be afforded dignity, institutional support, and inclusion in all aspects of healthcare policy and planning.”
The EFF said it would continue to lead with a transformative agenda rooted in the values of economic freedom, social justice, and African dignity.
“Let this policy be a watershed moment – a declaration that our heritage matters, our healers matter, and our traditions have a rightful place in the corridors of power,” the EFF said.
