MEDU stands for Medicinal and Environmental Defense Unit. It is the single most substantial investment ever made to the environment by the Traditional Health Practitioners of Limpopo. MEDU vision was born out of the 2011 African Traditional Medicine (A.T.M) provincial roadshows led by the President of Limpopo Unified Traditional Health Organisation (LUTHPA) Dr S.M Hlati. During these district roadshows LUTHPA was campaigning for an end to ritual killings for muthi while at the same time advocating for unity with the traditional health practice. As a traditional medicine man himself LUTHPA President Dr Hlati encouraged fellow practitioners to pave a roadmap for sustenance of medicinal plants for the benefit of future generations.
To the rescue: Dr Hlati was amongst international volunteers and humanitarian donors that supplied much needed medicinal assistance during disasters in Mozambique.
After consolidating inputs from various practitioners, a resolution was issued and incorporated in the Presidential A.T.M Day (31 August) Statement that LUTHPA must lobby for intellectual, structural, financial and institutional resources to support the replenishing of medicinal plants.
Public safety: Dr Hlati (dressed in white) took the ritual killing awareness campaign to public institutions in partnership with the SAPS.
The Presidential statement reads: "For almost an eternity, generations of traditional health practitioners have been exploiting, extracting and taking away the resourcefulness and healing powers of medicinal plants for the good of mankind. We have been culprits of depletion of some of the invaluable medicinal plants, we still do. What is really sad is that we are fundamentally guilty for stealing the largesse of green wealth from future generations. Guilty as we are, we are consciously and duty bound to replenish what we have stolen from mother nature by establishing quotas for MEDU units".
Education: Dr Hlati is interviewed by a SABC journalist during one of the school outreaches in Mankweng area.
He also delivered lectures at the University of Venda for Science and Technology on developmental issues.
