Traditional healers may soon have to be registered. According to regulations published in the Government Gazette, this can be done through documentary proof or if the community regards him or her as a "healer"."This is a startling process for the registration of a health professional - by word of mouth and hearsay," medical lawyer at Werksmans Attorneys, Neil Kirby, said.The regulations are aimed at ensuring all traditional healers, herbalists, traditional birth attendants and traditional surgeons are registered with the Traditional Health Practitioners Council.Head of the Traditional Healers Organisation Phepsile Maseko said the draft regulations were trying to protect the public from charlatans."Registration would formalise the profession," she said.Maseko added that boys undergoing circumcision would stop being maimed by fake surgeons trying to make a "quick buck".One of the defining aspects of the draft law is that traditional surgeons who offer circumcision have to undergo training for "at least five years at three different initiation schools".Three people were arrested at illegal circumcision schools in the Eastern Cape last month.Registration will be no easy task, with Maseko estimating there are at least 250000 traditional healers in the country.The Traditional Health Practitioners Council of SA, which will register traditional healers, has no website.Maseko said the council was formed, but was still waiting for a budget from Treasury.Healers wanting to register need to submit their ID numbers and payment to the council.A healer can also submit proof of training, or the elders in the community can testify the person is recognised by them as "a diviner, herbalist, traditional birth attendant or traditional surgeon".Students learning healing or divining from an elder will have to register with the council within 30 days of starting their studies.The draft law requires herbalists to undergo a minimum of a year's training to learn diagnosis and how to prepare herbs for treatment...