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Ugandan scientists visit UFS traditional medicine expert for benchmarking

29 July 2022 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS), played host to academics from the Busitema University in Uganda for benchmarking on traditional medicine and to establish collaboration between the two institutions.

Prof Paul Waako, Vice-Chancellor of the Busitema University – who was part of the visiting party – and Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, signed a collaboration agreement that enables the two institutions to work together and to get involved in the exchange of expertise as part of the collaboration.

Dr Samuel Baker Obakiro, Lecturer of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Head of the Department of Pharmacology, and Dr Richard Oriko Owor, a natural products chemist, accompanied Prof Waako on the visit to the UFS from 18 to 21 July, during which they undertook tours of various departments and laboratories, including Pharmacology, Virology, Chemistry, Genetics, Physics, Microbiology, and others. They also visited FARMOVS.

Establishing collaboration

Uganda – through their Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation – has a national drive to ensure that science contributes to socio-economic development through their major national agenda, which promotes local production, reduces importation, and increases exportation of goods. Dr Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, wants to ensure that the capacity of Ugandan scientists to conduct applied research will promote national development and reduce poverty.

Prof Waako said they came to the UFS to establish collaboration, as universities have an obligation to ensure that science improves the socio-economic situation in Africa. They would like to work with the UFS to ensure that science strengthens science in order to serve the people.

“Currently, one of the biggest challenges is the local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, and that is why we came to the Department of Pharmacology. We need to come together as African universities and use all the existing capacities to transform the lives of our people.”

“African traditional medicine has a lot to offer, and a lot of research has been done, but we have not been able to take it to the level of final commercialisable products. This is the reason of us coming here, we want to create that link to ensure that the science – which has already been identified and established – is able to move to product production,” says Prof Waako.

At the right place

They decided to visit the UFS after meeting Prof Matsabisa during his visit to their country’s universities as part of the WHO team.

According to Dr Obakiro, when walking down the corridors of the department, they can see that they are in the right place. “We are also looking at mentorship, as our university is still very young. I am happy and privileged to be here. We cannot succeed on our journey if we do not stand on your shoulders.”

Dr Obakiro said they are also looking at how to set up partnerships between academia and industry, as well as collaboration between the different academic departments, such as pharmacology, chemistry, microbiology, and virology, and how these collaborative initiatives can be effective and efficient to drive their agenda.

In welcoming the colleagues from West Africa, Prof Matsabisa said, “Let’s find a way to crawl together and eventually run together. If you want to move into drug discovery and development, no single scientist can do it alone, it is a multidisciplinary approach. It is a team effort with a shared vision. We have some experience that we can share with you, but we are not perfect, and I think we can learn together.”

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Reverend Frank Chikane honours ‘Oom Bey’ at second Beyers Naudé Memorial Lecture for 2012

2012-09-11

Rev. Frank Chikane and Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations at the UFS.
Photo: Stephen Collett
10 September 2012

The 9th Beyers Naude Memorial Lecture, a partnership initiative between the University of the Free State (UFS) and Kagiso Trust, was held on the South Campus of the university last week. The theme of the lecture focused on Collaborative partnership for social cohesion: Building of a nation with ethics.

Guest speaker, Reverend Frank Chikane, is a member of the UDF, ANC, Director-General in the Office of the President and a board member of Kagiso Trust.

In his speech, Rev. Chikane focused on the first 45 years in the life of Beyers Naudé, sketching a picture of a man who lived for what he believes in. When this former minister of the South African Dutch Reformed Church and member of the Broederbond, decided to question the morality of the Apartheid government after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, he made some changes in his beliefs and started to play a big role in the struggle against apartheid.

“If one know about ‘Oom Bey’s’ earlier life, you will see how radical his contribution was in turning South Africa from a country on the brink of destruction to a country of peace. ‘Oom Bey’ must be seen as a role model, someone we can aspire to be in South Africa today,” Rev. Chikane said.

“From his legacy one sees elements of someone building a nation with ethics.

“He took sides with the poor against an unjust system. Power breaks cohesion. It makes people not to think,” Rev. Chikane said.

If Afrikaners and black people stood together after the South African War (Anglo-Boer War), we would have talked a different language today. However, they did not. Afrikaners stood together, excluding black people and cohesion between all races was destructed. ‘Oom Bey’ tried to build relationships between people from all races in South Africa in an effort to create peace amongst all people. He was alienated from the Broederbond and defrockedrom the church.

In his speech, Rev. Chikane also said that South Africa did not succeed in collaborative partnerships in terms of the economy. “We need collaborative action to change our economy. This specific failure can destroy all that we have built together.”

“All South Africans can be like ‘Oom Bey” and make a contribution, especially in terms of the economy. To deal with this challenge, we can all contribute. This is important because due to a poor economy, many people are desperate and desperate people can destroy any relationship that we might have built so far.”

At this event, the university and Kagiso Trust also announced the winners of a poetry and essay competition that coincided with this last Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012. The award ceremony looked at the creativity of the learners, how they expressed themselves as well as the novelty of their work. Students as well as learners from schools in the Free State participated in the competition and first, second and third place winners received cash prizes as well as a book from Rev. Frank Chikane for their brilliant work.

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