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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

You touch a woman, you strike a rock
2004-11-02

Prof. Engela Pretorius van die Departement Sosiologie in die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe by die Universiteit van die Vrystaat het die kwessie omtrent feminisme aangespreek tydens haar intreerede met die onderwerp, You touch a woman, you strike a rock: Feminism(s) and emancipation in South Africa .

Prof. Pretorius het gesê: “Die geskiedenis van feminisme oor die algemeen kan in drie fases verdeel word, waarna verwys word as golwe. Eerste-golf-feminisme (19de eeu) het die fokus geplaas op die beskerming van vroueregte in die openbare terrein, spesifiek die reg om te stem, die reg tot onderrig en die reg om middelklas beroepe en professies te betreë.

Vroeë tweede-golf-feminisme word onthou vir hoe dit moederskap geteoretiseer het as synde ‘n onderdrukkende instelling. Slagspreuke van die 1970s was die persoonlike is polities en susterskap is magtig. Prof. Pretorius sê beide slagspreuke bevestig die idee dat vroue universeel onderdruk en uitgebuit word en slegs deur erkenning van dié situasie kan vroue die strukture wat hul onderdruk verander.

‘n Belangrike aspek van die derde golf van die feminisme-teorie is post-moderne feminisme wat diversiteit en verskille onderstreep. Die poging van hierdie feministe is afgestem op alle vorme van onderdrukking. Vroue van kleur het ook hul ontevredenheid uitgespreek gedurende die derde-golf-feminisme. Die feminisme van vroue van kleur word gekenmerk deur verskeie kwessies en talryke intellektuele standpuntinnames wat neerslaga vind in verskillende terme, soos Afrika feminisme of ‘womanism, sê prof. Pretorius.

Afrika-feminisme dui protes aan teen die wit/westerse geskiedenis en die wit/westerse dominansie binne feminisme. Afrika-vroue het besef dat hul onderdrukking verskillend is van dié van wit vroue en daarom is ‘n ander proses van bevryding nodig. Die Westerse feministiese praktyk om swart vroue by die bestaande feministiese ontologie te voeg, is nie voldoende nie omdat hul unieke ondervindings van slawerny, kolonialisme, onderdrukking deur mans en armoede nie uitgedruk word nie.

‘Womanism’ het tot stand gekom as gevolg van ‘n eksplisiete rassekritiek teen feminisme. Dit is ten gunste van die positiewe uitbeelding van swart mense. Dit word gekenmerk deur kulturele kontekstualisasie, die sentraliteit van die gesin en die belangrikheid daarvan om mans in te sluit.

Die geskiedenis van vroue in Suid-Afrika is verwant aan hul geskiedenis van onderdrukking as gevolg van patriargie. Vroue van verskillende rasse, kulture en klasse het patriargie op verskillende wyses in en variërende mate van erns ervaar. Onder voor-koloniale patriargie het vroue min sê gehad oor huwelikskeuses omdat mans dié besluite gedomineer het.

Die Nederlandse en Britse patriargale erfenis het neerslag gevind in die ideologie van die volksmoeder. Onderwyl dit veral manlike skrywers was wat die beeld van die vrou as versorger en tuisteskepper bevorder het, het vroue self ook hieraan ‘n aandeel gehad, sodat die volksmoeder volwaardig deel geword het van die Afrikaner nasionalistiese mitologie. Alhoewel middel- en werkersklas vroue met dié beeld geïdentifiseer het, het nie alle Afrikaanse vroue die ideologie aanvaar nie.

Onder die Victoriaanse erfenis was Britse vroue beperk to die private eerder as die openbare lewe. Die skeefgetrekte onderrigsisteem wat vroue in huishoudelike loopbane gekanaliseer het, die mag van mans oor hul vroue se eiendom en ‘n tekort aan toegang tot mag en geld het verseker dat vroue by die huis gebly het.

Wit Engelssprekende-vroue het die grootste geleentheid gehad om patriargie uit te daag vanweë hul toegang tot onderwys en die blootstelling aan liberale waardes, sê prof. Pretorius. Liberale vroue soos Helen Joseph en Helen Suzman het ‘n belangrike rol gespeel om in 1930 stemreg vir wit vroue in Suid-Afrika te verseker en het voortgegaan om ‘n rol te speel in die bevryding van swart vroue gedurende die vryheidstryd.

Die feminisme wat onder swart vroue ontwikkel het, was ‘n erkenning van die gemeenskaplike stryd met swart mans om die verwydering van die juk van eksterne onderdrukking en eksploitasie. Swart vroue in aktiewe en onafhanlike politiese rolle het tegelykertyd mans se aannames omtrent hul meerderwaardigheid asook die rassewette van die staat uitgedaag. Daarom kan ons sê dat die feminisme wat hier ontwikkel het, te voorskyn gekom het as gevolg van vroue se betrokkenheid by en toewyding tot nasionale bevryding, sê prof. Pretorius.

Institusionalisering is nie herlei tot magsvoordele nie, want gelykheid is nie in beleidsprogramme geïnkorporeer nie. Die hervestiging van sleutel aktiviste van die vrouebeweging in die regering het die stryd om genderbillikheid verander na ‘n projek wat deur die regering gelei word, sê prof. Pretorius. Ongelukkig word terreine van verandering buite die grense van die regering verwaarloos. Dit kan slegs aangespreek word deur ‘n aktiewe en feministiese stem in die burgerlike samelewing.

“Dit is my oortuiging dat formele instellings vir vroue binne die staat oor die lang termyn slegs effektief kan wees indien daar ‘n effektiewe feministiese vroue-beweging buite die staat in stand gehou word wat die grondslag waarop sosiale beleid gevorm word, kan uitdaag en bevraagteken. Daarom, A luta continua (die stryd duur voort),” sê prof. Pretorius.

Mediaverklaring
Uitgereik deur: Lacea Loader
Mediaverteenwoordiger
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Sel: 083 645 2454
E-pos: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
2 November 2004

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