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29 November 2022 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Andre Damons
Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa
Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director of Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacology at the UFS, hosted the first IKS Bio-Trade Indaba, which took place between 24 and 25 November on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS.

The inaugural international Indigenous Knowledge and Bio-Trade Indaba, hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS) in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) – an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) – is the ideal platform for various stakeholders to network and share knowledge on current developments in indigenous knowledge research and product development, biodiversity, conservation, innovation, and commercialisation of the IK-based researched products. 

The IKS Bio-Trade Indaba was championed by the university’s African Medicines Innovation and Technology Development Platform (AMITD), which is funded by TIA. AMITD was established to stimulate economic growth by providing science-based solutions and developing technologies that would utilise indigenous knowledge and South African biodiversity to produce high-quality African traditional-medicine-based proprietary products, focusing on priority diseases. AMITD is a national leader in research, development, and formulation research on traditional medicines and has a strong history in IKS research, community collaboration, and participation initiatives, as well as partnerships with industry on herbal medicines.

The indaba, which took place from 24 to 25 November, was a success, opening much-needed dialogue and engagement on the role of IK-based knowledge in research and commercialisation. Going forward, the indaba will be a vital platform to enhance the role of IKS in inclusive development and transformation.

African traditional medicine should be internationally recognised

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Director of Pharmacology in the UFS Department of Pharmacology and AMITD, said he has a special interest in the pharmacology of traditional medicines and that he wants to see more national, continental, and international collaboration so that the dream of making ATM internationally recognised and a global force can be realised. 

“How do we develop new drugs and medicines based on the knowledge we have. We do this without compromising on good all-inclusive science on ATM. We should take the science and put it on the global stage so that all people will begin to respect it,” said Prof Matsabisa. 

According to him, research conducted by AMITD should address national research priorities, community research needs and aspirations to respond to industry research questions and challenges and develop products, intellectual property (IP), as well as commercialisation. “Research needs to have a societal impact and must impact the quality of life of people. We do responsive research that needs to address old diseases, new diseases, neglected diseases, current pandemics, as well as new and re-emerging pandemics.” 

Elevation of IKS profile can no longer be delayed
 
Dr Vuyisile Phehane, Executive: Bio-Economy at the TIA, said the indaba came at a time when the elevation of the profile of IKS can no longer be delayed. TIA acknowledges the rich, largely untapped source of knowledge within communities that has yet to be fully exploited for the economic and social benefit of particularly the underserved regions of the country, and it should be systematically well researched. 

Dr Vuysile Phehane
Dr Phehane, gave a message of support from TIA, saying the indaba came at a time when the elevation of the profile of IKS can no longer be delayed. (Photo: Andre Damons)


“Sectoral support priorities in agriculture, manufacturing, health innovations, and allied health cannot be overlooked, and neither can the various master plans created to support industrial sectors. This thought leadership has a direct bearing on what we are doing here, engaging in dialogue to shape our future, and seeking ways to collaborate and build long-lasting partnerships in the space of IKS. These partnerships not only serve us in the country, but also on the African continent,” said Dr Phehane. 

According to him, TIA played the role of industry builder and sought to increase its efforts to grow and enhance the role of IKS in inclusive development and transformation. The successful commercialisation of all indigenous knowledge-based projects involving the use of indigenous plants requires the capacity to commercially cultivate these plants. 

Dr Phehane said TIA funded AMITD to ensure that the products of promising indigenous knowledge innovations are safe, effective, and of consistently high quality. “This platform seeks to address generations of market failure by bringing IK into the mainstream of commercialisation and truly equitable benefit sharing. Going forward, 20% of our annual MTEF allocation will be channelled towards IK initiatives, which is significant. This is testament to our commitment to IKS.”

The two-day indaba hosted various panel discussions on multiple aspects of IKS research and developments in human and plant health. Among these were discussions on cannabis research to mitigate cancer multidrug resistance, phytoconstituents for the treatment of diabetes, the development of PHELA, a plant-based product as a treatment for COVID-19, natural product-based colon regulator commercialisation, the development of cannabis and other medicinal plants in wound healing and developing hydrogels, as well as the development of IK-based herbal pesticides.

Discussions also focused on new developments in the indigenous health infusion industry, developments in medicine regulations and IK-based clinical trials in South Africa, as well as African medicines research internationalisation. International panellists included Prof Minke Tang (Beijing University of Chinese Medicine), Dr Samuel Obakiro (HOD, Department of Pharmacology, Busitema University, Uganda), and Dr Kofi Donkor (Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong, Ghana), all of whom shared experiences on IKS-related research in their respective countries.

IKS one of the areas targeted for investment and growth 

Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director: Research Development at the UFS, said the Department of Pharmacology is one of the fastest-growing departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS, and attracts a large number of applications from national and international scholars largely due to a very understated Prof Matsabisa.

“We always look at areas where we need to invest in the future and grow, and IKS is one of those areas we targeted and invested in significantly. Through the research and work in IKS, this is done to reposition the institution as a research-led university that is relevant to its communities and societies.” 
The TIA UFS IKS International Indaba was funded by the TIA IKS unit and the Department of Pharmacology – AMITD platform.

News Archive

Johann Naudé talks at first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012
2012-08-02

At the event were, from the left: Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick, Prof. Nicky Morgan, Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, Mr Themba Mola, Chief Operations Officer at Kagiso Trust, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, and Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations.
Photo: Stephen Collett
2 August 2012

The University of the Free State (UFS) together withKagiso Trust, presented the first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012 on its South Campus in Bloemfontein last week. Speakers like Dr Wilmot James, Member of Parliament, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick and Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, all gave a lecture around this year’s theme: Collaborative partnerships for social cohesion: Building a nation with ethics.

Dr Beyers Naudé played a major role in the formation of Kagiso Trust. His contribution to the trust and the fight against oppression in South Africa, as well as his challenging of the establishment from which he came, makes him one of South Africa’s courageous heroes. Kagiso Trust thus saw it fit to celebrate the life of this clerical activist through a Memorial Lecture The Beyers Naudé Memorial Lecture is an effort by the Trust to engage South Africans into a dialogue about issues affecting our nation.

Mr Johann Naudé talked about the lessons they as children learnt from their parents as well as his father’s decision to respond to the needs of the people in South Africa. Even before the Sharpeville Massacre, Dr Naudé began a self-transformation that led to his rejection of apartheid. “Apartheid had no theological or scriptural grounds and my father decided to resign from the church. After that, he started to talk openly against apartheid and he also paid the price for that. For seven years he was under house arrest and we as his children also felt the effect of his decision. At the University of Pretoria in a residence where I stayed as a student I was called in and told that I would be treated as an outcast. Loans and jobs were also closed for us as children and as a result, we all started our own businesses,” Mr Naudé said.

“Furthermore, our parents taught us to believe in ourselves. He also said we have rights and we can only demand those rights if we take the responsibility that goes with it. My father also taught us to honour and to respect our fellow men, elderly people and the culture of people different from us. We were also taught to apologise for the wrongs to our fellow men and to acknowledge earnestly that we were wrong.”

Dr Wilmot James said that there were two things consistent in the life of Dr Beyers Naudé, namely justice and fairness. “There are many Nelson Mandelas and Beyers Naudés out there. It is the responsibility of political parties and institutions to motivate such leadership. We must ask ourselves: Are my actions and decisions ethical and will they have fair consequences?” Dr James said.

Mr Hlongwane focused his presentation on the ethics part of the theme. He said: “We in South Africa fall very short of ethics. We can start by respecting each other and taking care of one another. The Constitution will not mean a thing if we fail to respect and trust one another. We will have no cohesive society if we continue to treat those different from us like dirt. It is also our ethical duty to build up the disadvantaged.

In her discussion, Ms Senne emphasised the role of the youth in South Africa. “Our youth is failing our state because our state is failing our youth. Their role is to bring cohesion and acts of courageousness to the table. For them to contribute in a practical and sustainable manner, they need to start making the changes they want to see in society. They are young people and they can make it work because they do have access to the necessary means (social networks) to get things done. They must get involved,” she said.

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