By Matsobane Manaka
Cannabis comes in main varieties: sativa, indica and ruderalis. It played a crucial role by assisting majority of patients especially during the outbreak of Covid-19.
Meet a cannabis producer, Mpho Walter Makhado. Makhado, who is affectionately known as the “Lion of the North”. A man, well-known for assisting patients getting their lives back through cannabis medicine.
Makhado who is also a traditional healer, traditional psychologist, herbalist, and life coach, grew up in the dusty rural village of Malandani in Mutale, Makhado in Vhembe District.
His poor background compelled him to look out for better opportunities in Gauteng upon completing his matric. He secured his first job as a cashier at a fast-food outlet. That helped him continued his study that ultimately landed him a senior systems engineer within the Information Communications Technology (ICT) space. His assignment began at Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) where he ultimately became a general manager of the ICT entity at Nambiti Technologies and subsequently a regional manager at Limpopo Branch.
Mpho Makhado is not just a cannabis producer, but traditional healer, traditional psychologist, and herbalist.
His calling as a herbalist and traditional healer knocked on his door. Makhado decided to leave his well-paying engineering job from the ICT space in the Cooperate World – where young graduates are craving for – to revolutionising traditional medicine by establishing the first African Traditional hospital. The hospital offers a wide range of traditional medicines and processed cannabis medicines within its dispensaries in various packaging lines for different diseases.
His medicines are sold above the counter directly to individual or on-line through Revmed Tech Group, a company he founded alongside African Traditional hospital. It specialises with both ICT training, hardware, software, and related IT services. His medicinal products are licensed and in compliance with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Makhado is working hands in glove with the University of Limpopo through indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) on traditional medicine.
Duba cannabis tea and oil extracted from cannabis seeds are some of the healing products offered at Revmed store.
Makhado said the cannabis has multiple health benefits that motivated him to expand his operations up to the commercial stage. Through his cannabis, Makhado treats various general health issues related to men and women such as fertility problems, obesity, sores, ulcers, lowering blood pressures and many other diseases. He pointed out that the in additional use for cannabis as a drug include the use for severe or long-term pain, nausea, migraine, reducing inflammation, treating anxiety disorders, treating gastrointestinal disorder, assist in fighting cancer and for various other traditional medicinal use.
A cannabis is also a psychoactive drug from cannabis plant, well-known for treating illnesses and used for recreational purposes. Cannabis was prominently used during the outbreak of Covid-19, which played a crucial role in assisting patients to get their lives back. Like many other prescriptions, cannabis has side effects to other people that include dizziness, mild headache, and nausea, among others.
Mpho Makhado says cannabis crop has high nutritional value that provide enhanced mental wellness and stress-free sleep.
Yet, majority of people have stigma attached to cannabis. The fact remains that abuse of every drug has negative consequences, be it psychological impact or associated illnesses. But Makhado made it clear that through his 27 farmers association, they are always striving to reach out and empower communities through information days to understand the cannabis. He has also established a cannabis training centre to expand his training that include all the cannabis value chain prospectus such as resellers, packaging, and medicinal processing. He is nearing a completion of cannabis structure that will carry a capacity of 10 000 trees where training will be hands-on.
He said people need to understand that cannabis has long been used for many things such as hemp fibre, food mixture, cookies, being brewed for drinking purpose and the usual smoking. He continued that oil can be extracted from the seeds and used to enhance the mental wellness and provide a stress-free sleep or used to the extent of cosmetic and cooking recipes.
Mpho Makhado is associated with 27 farmers who are determined to reach out through information days to empower communities about the cannabis.
Left: Samuel Makgoba an extension officer, Mpho Makhado (project owner) and Floyed Sekgobela in one of the cannabis storage rooms.
Various sachets for various diseases.
