Traditional Healers and the Shona Patient

Gordon Lloyd Chavunduka

Mambo Press
Gweru
1978
English
Paperback
139 pages

The book is out of print.

Synopsis

This book is about traditional healers and the Shona patient. The research work was carried out in the years 1968 to 1972. No major work has yet been undertaken to examine the process involved in defining illness, the decision making process in the choice of therapy, and the organisation of traditional medical practice. This book s an attempt to fill this gap.

Review

Arising from Chavhunduka's investigations comes the deduction that the medical cult of the nganga is in demand; it appears to fulfil a need and therefore it will remain a feature of medical practice in Africa. - Michael Gelfand

Author

Professor Gordon Lloyd Chavunduka was a Zimbabwean sociologist and traditional healer. He served as a member of Abel Muzorewa's delegation to the 1979 Lancaster House Conference that led to Zimbabwe's independence. He died in 2013.