LISTEN | ‘Cancer Bush’ shows promise as complementary medicine to chemotherapy

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · Jun 02, 2026 · 404 words · By Michelle Banda

Indigenous Medicine Cancer Treatment Medical Research

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What to know about Indigenous Medicine

A plant found across South Africa and long used in traditional medicine could one day help fight some of the most difficult cancers to treat.

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A plant found across South Africa and long used in traditional medicine could one day help fight some of the most difficult cancers to treat.

Why it matters

Researchers at North-West University are investigating the anti-cancer potential of Lessertia frutescens, commonly known as “Cancer Bush”, Balloon Pea, Cape Bladder Pea, Sutherlandia, Phetola in Setswana and Insiswa in isiZulu.

Common ground

Laboratory studies have shown promising results against several cancers, including drug-resistant lung cancer and colorectal cancer, prompting further research into the indigenous plant’s potential role in future cancer treatment and as an alternative to…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Indigenous Medicine story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Researchers at North-West University are investigating the anti-cancer potential of Lessertia frutescens?
How does this story connect Indigenous Medicine with Cancer Treatment over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-06-02-listen-cancer-bush-shows-promise-as-co…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 2

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Claim 1: “Researchers at North-West University are investigating the anti-cancer potential of Lessertia frutescens”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news/university sources (news.nwu.ac.za, Food For Mzansi) confirm that researchers at North-West University are investigating the anti-cancer potential of the plant.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since the first printing of Carl Linnaeus's Species Plantarum in 1753, plants have been assigned one epithet or name for their species and one name for their genus, a grouping of related species. Thou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plant_genera_named_aft…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (21 July 1921 – 25 March 2020) was a Zulu sangoma (traditional healer) from South Africa. He was known as an author of books that draw upon African mythology, traditional Zulu …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vusamazulu_Credo_Mutwa

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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers at the North-West University(NWU) are investigating the anti-cancer potential of Lessertia frutescens, commonly known as cancer bush, after laboratory studies showed activity against sever…
https://news.nwu.ac.za/indigenous-plant-study-opens-new-path…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “It is found across regions, predominantly the Western Cape, Northern Cape and up to KwaZulu-Natal”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including PlantZAfrica and other botanical references, confirm the plant's distribution across the Western Cape, Northern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal) is a family of very small s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linyphiidae

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web search NEUTRAL — Lessertia frutescens occurs naturally throughout the dry parts of southern Africa — in Western Cape and up the west coast as far north as Namibia and into ...
https://pza.sanbi.org/lessertia-frutescens

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web search NEUTRAL — It is a fairly widespread, drought-resistant plant that grows in the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape provinces and some areas of KwaZulu-Natal, varying in ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924790/

+ 1 more evidence source

verified

Claim 3: “Lessertia frutescens, commonly known as “Cancer Bush”, Balloon Pea, Cape Bladder Pea, Sutherlandia, Phetola in Setswana and Insiswa in isiZulu.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and web sources explicitly list these common names, including the specific Setswana (Phetola) and isiZulu (Insiswa) terms.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lessertia frutescens (syn. Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R.Br.; Colutea frutescens L.) is a southern African legume in the family Fabaceae. It is also known as cancer bush, balloon pea, Cape bladder pe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessertia_frutescens

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web search NEUTRAL — May 19, 2023 · It is also known as cancer bush, balloon pea, Cape bladder pea, sutherlandia; and phetola in seTswana, and insiswa in isiZulu. It is a shrub ...
https://www.facebook.com/hartnurserycapetown/posts/new-in-st…

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web search NEUTRAL — This paper discusses Sutherlandia frutescens, an indigenous South African medicinal plant known for its therapeutic applications.
https://www.academia.edu/119060306/Sutherlandia_frutescens_T…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “this plant has a long history of use and is considered non-toxic and safe for use.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources cite the plant's long history of use and its general consideration as non-toxic and safe.

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web search NEUTRAL — The plant is considered non-toxic and safe, and its anti-cancer activity “comes without the significant side-effects known to occur with most standard chemotherapies”, she added. Researchers also foun…
https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/indigenous-shrub-shows-promis…

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 5, 2025 ... Sutherlandia frutescens has a long history of traditional medicinal use and is credited with antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and ...
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.105…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 8, 2025 ... Moreover, several research studies have highlighted the promising therapeutic effects of L. frutescens in combating various cancer cell lines.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12299841/

verified

Claim 5: “A plant found across South Africa and long used in traditional medicine could one day help fight some of the most difficult cancers to treat.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm that Lessertia frutescens is found in southern Africa and has a long history of use in traditional medicine.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lessertia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It contains some 62 species native to eastern and southern Africa. It belongs to subfamily Faboideae.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessertia_(plant)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sutherlandia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae containing six known living species. The genus was once organized as having a single species, S. frutescens, but later expanded to in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutherlandia

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Chrisna Gouws, a research professor in the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences in the faculty of health sciences at NWU.”

CORROBORATED

The official NWU staff profile and news reports confirm Chrisna Gouws is a professor at the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences in the faculty of health sciences.

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web search NEUTRAL — Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences. Potchefstroom, South Africa. Current position. Professor (Full).Chrisna Gouws. The liver is a vital organ fulfilling a central role in over 500 major …
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chrisna-Gouws

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web search NEUTRAL — In a conversation with Food For Mzansi, Professor Chrisna Gouws from the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences at North-West University’s faculty of health sciences explained that the resea…
https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/nwu-scientists-validate-powe…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr Chrisna Gouws. I obtained a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the North-West University with a thesis titled “Tyrosinemia type I as a model for studying epigenetic events in the aetiology of metaboli…
https://news.nwu.ac.za/experts/chrisna-gouws

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Claim 7: “Laboratory studies have shown promising results against several cancers, including drug-resistant lung cancer and colorectal cancer”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources report laboratory results showing activity against drug-resistant lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 19, 2026 · One of the most exciting findings is the plant's apparent activity against drug-resistant cancers, particularly resistant small-cell lung cancer ...
https://www.precedenceresearch.com/news/south-african-cancer…

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web search NEUTRAL — Laboratory studies have shown promising results against several cancers, including drug-resistant lung cancer and colorectal cancer, prompting further research ...
https://arenaholdings-timeslive-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/news/sc…

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web search NEUTRAL — “Lessertia frutescens has shown significant anti-cancer activity against several different cancer types,” Gouws said. “What is particularly exciting is its ...
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-times/20260604…

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Claim 8: “the research team tested extracts from the indigenous plant on human cancer cells and laboratory-grown mini-tumours known as spheroids.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe the specific methodology of testing extracts on human cancer cells and laboratory-grown spheroids (mini-tumours).

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web search NEUTRAL — The research team, led by Professor Chrisna Gouws at the NWU Faculty of Health Sciences, tested extracts of the wild shrub on both cultured human cancer cells and advanced, laboratory-grown "mini-tumo…
https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2026-06-02-exploring-th…

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web search NEUTRAL — “Lessertia frutescens has shown significant anti-cancer activity against several different cancer types in our research,” she said. Gouws said the research team tested extracts from the indigenous pla…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/sci-tech/2026-06-02-listen-…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.