MoH "caught with pants down" as Makhaya runs the streets

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has been caught with pants down after failing to clamp down on quacks masquerading as herbalists, to ply the trade of herbal tonic right under their nose.

The supposedly treat-all tonic, called Makhaya and hailed as the ‘real makoya’, is commonly referred to as Makgonatsotlhe, is said to have a wide range of therapeutic uses, apparently treats all ailments and conditions from mere headaches, and fatigue to asthma, sinus, constipation, gallstones, kidney problems, acne etc and purportedly even detoxifies the system and helps those with bedroom problems.

The product is refined into a tonic and supplied by a South African company trading under the name, SA Herbal Life. The company website states that the company is owned by a certain Ismail Milanzie, “a male from a historically marginalised/disadvantaged group.”  Milanzie is said to be a researcher and scholar in herbal traditional medicines with post-graduate degrees in science and philosophy. He is also said to be a community leader, and the main driver behind SA Herbal Distributor.

Listed members of the advisory board are Thabiso Mokoena and Dr. Daw. The company also claims to be affiliated with the World Health Organisation. But attempt to find more information on the three men hit a snag. Even a mere Internet search does not reveal any plausible results, neither are they registered or affiliated with any health organisations. 

On the website, it is boldly stated that the tonic is available at Choppies stores in Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Makhaya, which started its operations in 2008, has for a long time been available in Choppies stores, select chemists and pharmacies, and from street vendors around taxi terminals and bus stations. The tonic sells for between P30 and P50 per bottle, and it continues to be sold by individuals and street vendors at places such as the train station, with some buyers swearing they had seen and even bought their bottles from Choppies. Choppies has however distanced itself from the product.

Choppies Regional Marketing and Communications manager Otsile Marole said that there is no such product on Choppies shelves.  She however conceded that they had once had an agreement with the company, which lapsed in 2013.  Marole insisted that Choppies follows a strict procedure before putting a product on their shelves. “All entrants into Choppies shelves must have approval for labelling/safety of the product from the Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and the Health National Lab. Without any certification from them we cannot sell the product. We follow all the necessary rules and regulations.”

While many Batswana swear by this tonic, it appears that it has some deliberating side effects especially as registered health practitioners do not administer it. One Lobatse man who used to swear by the product has apparently discontinued it after his legs started swelling giving him an elephantitis appearance. Another lady shared that she used to drink the tonic but stopped after it made her feel weak and drowsy after taking it. 

Another product that has not been approved by the MoH but sells like fat cakes is Comfrey tea, which is also said to be a tonic for different ailments and conditions like asthma, fatigue, stroke and detoxification, among others. Information on the tea, which comes in a green box, states that the product contains black tea and oolong tea, among other herbs. Of late, there has been another product, known as Mamma’s Spice Flat stomach tea, which is said to help with detoxification and weight loss. The popular teas, which are often market on social media, particularly Facebook, look like traditional medicine herbs and are apparently boiled and taken like a drink throughout the day. Scores of impressionable young women have taken to it like bees to pollen with some even selling it. Herbal tonics have been on the market for many years, some being sold illegally.

WHO has warned of harmful effects of proliferation of unapproved products and MoH is tasked to test and monitor products that make it to the market. In recent years there have been efforts to integrate herbal and traditional medicine into the health sector. In 2013, the Botswana Institute of Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) in conjunction with the Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) found that more research was necessary to reach the standardisation of herbal medicines and conclude basic requirements for them to be considered safe and effective.

The University of Botswana has also created a Centre for Scientific Research, Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation in attempt to link scientific research with knowledge systems.