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24 January 2019 | Story Zama Feni | Photo Barend Nagel
Prof Matlabisa
Prof Motlalepula Matlabisa of the Department of Pharmacology.

Two South African government departments have granted the University of the Free State’s Department of Pharmacology a combined amount of R15 million for the establishment of four tea farms in the disadvantaged communities in the North West and Eastern Cape Communities.

The head of the project Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa at the Department of Pharmacology said that that Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has granted an amount of R10 million for the community research in the respective provinces.

This grant is a top up to the R5 million they received from the Department of Science and Technology for the “community implementation on indigenous health infusions or teas as commonly known.”

The DEA will in the near future sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the university.


Tea project set to empower communities


“The project is to implement and build structures in the four communities we work with in the North West and Eastern Cape,” he said.

The identified areas for the project are in the Eastern Cape towns of Alice and Idutywa as well another two North West communities in Zeerust.

Prof Matsabisa indicated that the project will be a manifestation of “how science can contribute to economic growth, poverty alleviation and job creation.” 

“It was very interesting to have discovered that some French and German companies have already displayed interest in the projects,” he said.

He stated that a project of this nature is a good initiative by the UFS and it will also show that the university’s research activities are national. “We have been researching and developing indigenous teas which have now attracted interest locally and internationally by huge companies such as Nestle, Tiger Brands, Moringa World etc,” he said. 


Taking it slowly


At the initial stages of the tea farming project, Prof Matsabisa said they would start in small portions of utilising five hectares in each of the four projects and as the project gains momentum, they would expand.

Prof Matlabisa said that an environmental impact assessment has already been conducted and they were waiting for the DEA to give them a go ahead for the land preparations.



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UFS's Acta Theologica included in Scopus
2009-03-18

 
The Acta Theologica, academic journal of the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Free State (UFS), was again highlighted as quality journal for the research community when it recently was included in the Scopus (of Elsevier Bibliographic Databases). Scopus is the world’s greatest abstract- and citation database of research literature on all fields of study. In the letter that the editorial staff of the Acta Theologica received from Scopus, it is mentioned that this action was taken in acknowledgment of the high quality and relevance of Acta Theologica for the research community. Already two years ago the Acta Theologica was included in the Arts & Humanities Citation Index of the International Scientific Index (ISI). Since then only one of the 27 other theology journals in South Africa managed to be included in the ISI list.
Photo: Stephen Collet

Prof. Hermie van Zyl is the new chief editor of the Acta Theologica and Dr Lyzette Hoffman will act as the executive editor.
 

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