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05 November 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah
Prof Moffett’s latest offering collates hundreds of mountain research material into one accessible reference book.

Prof Rodney Moffett recently published a new book focusing on various scientific articles published between 1808 and 2019. The book, A Scientific Bibliography of the Drakensberg, Maloti and Adjacent Lowlands, has 534 pages and covers material appearing in accredited journals, plus unpublished but traceable reports, documents, presentations, and dissertations.

“The scientific articles range from palaeobotany with 17 entries, to rock art with 502 entries, as well as 252 theses and dissertations,” said Prof Moffett.

He said it took 18 months to compile the book, typing the manuscript himself – mostly at night.

In the foreword, Dr Ralph Clark, Director: Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), says: “This bibliography is a labour of love, and will inspire a new generation to take up the baton for excellent research in this fantastic mountain system. We are proud to publish this under the ARU banner as a contribution to growing and consolidating mountain-passionate relationships in Southern Africa, and to encourage our journey towards developing a holistic understanding and sustainable use of these iconic mountain landscapes.” 

Other books

Prof Moffett is an honorary research fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State, and an associate of the Afromontane Research Unit on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus. He was previously Professor of Botany on the Qwaqwa Campus when it was part of the University of the North, retiring in 2000. Since then, he has remained active, publishing scholarly works on ethnobotany and other natural history subjects.

His four recent books, also published by Sun Press, are: Sesotho Plant and Animal Names and Plants used by the Basotho (2010), A Biographical Dictionary of Contributors to the Natural History of the Free State and Lesotho (2014), Basotho Medicinal Plants – Meriana ya Dimela tsa Basotho (2016), and A Field Guide to the Clarens Village Conservancy (2018). A second revised edition of Meriana ya Dimela tsa Basotho – 

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Centre for Development Support focuses on job creation
2010-02-12

Pictured above are Prof. Marais and Dr. Toerien at the seminar.
Photo: Stephen Collet


The Centre for Development Support (CDS) is a progressive research unit at the University of the Free State (UFS). The centre is also seen as a training unit promoting sustainable human development. To prove this, the CDS recently presented a seminar series with the Khanya African Institute for Community-Driven Development.

The seminar was titled “Of paradoxes and job creation: Exploring alternative solutions”. Many aspects were looked at and Dr Daan Toerien, former Vice-President of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), presented the seminar.

According to Prof. Lochner Marais, director of the CDS, the seminar series looked into the various conflicts between technology, job creation and local economic development planning. Everyone who attended the seminar would agree that the frontiers of knowledge were undoubtedly challenged. -Lize du Plessis

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