Records regarding the phytomedicine employed by the Bapedi are almost non-existent. This is the first study
of herbal remedies used by Bapedi traditional healers to treat gonorrhoea, of concern as it is a danger to reproductive
health. A semi-structured questionnaire, centred on sexual health, was administered to 30 traditional healers in 15
local municipalities across the three districts of Limpopo Province during 2009/10. The questionnaire focussed on the
use of plants for medicine as well their application in reproductive health management. This investigation found that
the Bapedi employed no less than 18 different plant species, sometimes as multiple-plant extracts, but more often as
single-plant extracts. The single most used species was
Catharanthus roseus
, which accounted for 60% of all
reported cases, followed by
Aloe marlothii subsp.
marlothii
(13.3%). Both these species occur abundantly throughout
the province and are currently not threatened. This is the first record for the use of
Callilepis salicifolia
,
Jatropha
zeyheri
and
Cotyledon orbiculata
to treat gonorrhoea by people of any culture.
