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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.



News Archive

UFS Language Policy Review
2015-08-30

Invitation to members of the UFS Convocation

Members of the Convocation are invited to attend a meeting where an opportunity will be given for submissions to be made:

Date: Wednesday 30 September 2015
Time: 17:30-19:30
Venue: CR Swart Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

Members of the UFS Convocation are all permanent academic staff members - from lecturer to professor; all permanent support service staff, from Deputy Director to Vice-Chancellor and Rector - by virtue of their respective offices; and all students (current and former) who obtained a formal qualification at the university.

There are two options to members of the Convocation to participate in the review process:

  1. Attend the Convocation meeting on 30 September 2015 and make an oral submission of no more than 5 minutes; or
  2. If you prefer not to make your submission in public, submit it online by sending an email to language@ufs.ac.za by 30 September 2015.

The current Language Policy is available at http://www.ufs.ac.za/adhoc-pages/policy-documents/language-policy.

For background information on the review, go to: http://www.ufs.ac.za/language-policy

 

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