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Opinion: KwaZulu-Natal floods: Each one help one

26 April 2022 | Story Dr Qinisani Qwabe

South Africa recently witnessed a catastrophic natural disaster that resulted in the loss of life, livelihoods, and infrastructural damage. This occurred in KwaZulu-Natal where hundreds of people lost their lives as a result of extensive flooding and mudslides. President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster to which we should all respond. Specific reference was made to the public and private sectors, as well as civil society.

While I applaud the various stakeholders that have extended a helping hand, my heart bleeds for the vulnerable groups whose voices remain unheard, even under normal circumstances. One cannot help but wonder if aid will reach the isolated regions that suffered the adverse effects of these heavy rains, or if all developmental efforts will be prioritised to certain economic hubs of the province such as the eThekwini Metro and the capital, uMgungundlovu.

KwaZulu-Natal is among the poorest provinces in the country. Corroborating this claim is a report that was released by Statistics South Africa earlier this year which reveals that about 52% of the province’s population are considered to be ‘poor’,and live at the lower end of the poverty line.

Drawing from my experiences of the rural communities of KwaZulu-Natal with whom I have worked, many suffer from the triple challenge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, and rely on agriculture for their livelihood and to put food on the table. Their supplementary income is obtained from government support grants. The graphic scenes that have been shown on the media illustrate the devastating effects of the heavy rains in regions within the agricultural sector. Fields have been washed away, crops and livestock have been lost. This is happening when the province is still trying to resuscitate its economy after the widespread looting that took place in July last year, which had a calamitous effect on businesses and livelihoods.

While this is an injury mainly for the people of KwaZulu-Natal, it is my wish that we all join hands in contributing towards the restoration of livelihoods. In agreement with the president’s assertion, we can all play a part in rebuilding the province. This includes institutions of higher learning, particularly the Community Engagement Directorates whose mandate is to drive socioeconomic development to external communities.

Related article: Opinion: KZN floods expose significant socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities

News Archive

Prof Moffett’s third book provides comprehensive guide to Basotho medicinal plants

2017-07-26

Prof Rodney Moffett’s three books documenting Basotho
plants, animals, and the history of the Free State and Lesotho.
Photo: Thabo Kessah

Prof Rodney Moffett has recently published his third book, Basotho Medicinal Plants – Meriana ya Dimela Tsa Basotho. This latest offering deals only with medicinal uses and is based on the data from his first book, Sesotho Plant and Animal Names and Plants Used by the Basotho.

“The latest book came about after a Sesotho language advisor in the Free State Department of Education suggested that there was a need for the medicinal uses of plants by the Basotho to be documented in the vernacular. In a situation where there is an almost total lack of scientific literature in the vernacular, the greatest value of this book therefore, is that it provides a comprehensive guide to the medicinal uses of plants in Sesotho,” said Prof Moffett, Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Plant Sciences on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Book lists names of plants in Sesotho
“It comprises two parts. Part one lists the medicinal categories and plants used, and part two lists the medicinal uses arranged according to the Sesotho names of the plants. It is easy to read, as the information is presented alphabetically with the Sesotho name first, followed by the scientific name and usage thereof. Because a plant often has more than one Sesotho name, the scientific name is included to identify it.”

Prof Chris Nhlapo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and Prof Ntsamaeeng Moteetee from the University of Johannesburg are impressed with the book, respectively saying that it assists in documenting the deep indigenous knowledge of the “proud tradition of the Basotho Nation” and it is “an important contribution to the documentation of medicinal plant uses”.

The title of Prof Moffet’s second book was A Biographical Dictionary of Contributors to the Natural History of the Free State and Lesotho.

Prof Moffett was honoured with a Lifetime Researcher Award during the Academic and Research Awards on the Qwaqwa Campus in November.

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