20 April 2007, Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Roodeplaat
Programme Director
The Chief Executive Officer of ARC, Shadrack Maphuli
Chairperson of the Indigenous Knowledge System of Southern Africa; Dr Wally Serote
Government officials and officials from the ARC
Representatives of our traditional health practitioners
Invited guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am truly delighted to join you at this auspicious event. Reflecting on the importance of this event, my subconscious mind summoned to the fore the celebrated speech of President Thabo Mbeki 'I am an African'. Today it indeed feels good to be an African, to borrow from this seminal speech of our President.
The medicinal plant incubator project that we today are launching celebrates, preserves and promotes this dynamic Africanness - an indigenous heritage that should not rigidly be compartmentalized into spiritual, musical or folklore, to mention but a few aspects of our culture. People with refined knowledge of heritage assert that it encompasses craftsmanship, language, cultural expression, dances, ceremonies and ethno-botanical knowledge, amongst other important aspects.
Social scientists inform us that indigenous people around the world have continuously sought knowledge of the physical reality that surrounds them. This body of knowledge is codified in the indigenous knowledge systems.
Vel Suminguit, an anthropologist and ethno-botany scholar attached to the United Nations, made important observations in relation to the indigenous knowledge systems. Giving background information to a report submitted to the United Nations, Suminguit observed that 'a major component of this body of traditional knowledge is about the inter-action between human societies and the plant kingdom and, more specifically, how indigenous peoples perceive, manage and utilize the plants around them'.
Consistent with this observation, this medicinal plant incubator project has, as one of its primary objectives, a duty to ensure the preservation, propagation, recording and informing us on how to better manage ethno-botany.
This is a critical task especially considering the local and international pressure arising from competing land use needs and sheer arrogance in relation to biodiversity. This is compounded by other genuine needs for ethno-botanic usage.
The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately between 70 and 80% of the populations of developing countries rely on traditional medicine.
South Africa has a remarkable biological and cultural diversity. Part of our ecosystem boasts thousands of plant species. Over 30 000 of these species are reportedly utilised as medicine in one form or another and about 350 of these are still commonly used and traded as medicinal plants. Available reports estimate that approximately 20 000 tons of medicinal plants are used by at least 27 million consumers each year. This places considerable strain on the wild populations from which these products are harvested.
In Gauteng, numerous species are harvested, especially from our grasslands, which are already under pressure through the demand for land for housing, agriculture as well as pollution and the other pressures relating to the large urban populations living within the Province. It is estimated that over 700 tons of plant products are traded on the Witwatersrand annually.
Obviously, this places veritable threat to continued existence of ethno-botany. To promote, preserve and propagate the dynamic relationship between modern western medicine and ethno-botany, it is critically important that we must seek to ensure mass participation in the efforts of this project.
We need to ensure that more and more of our traditional healers, the business sector and our communities in general, are galvanized to support and participate in the efforts of the project.
Visible and compelling reasons exist to elicit support for the project. Ethno-botanic trade has a potential to generate income opportunities for hundreds our people in harvesting and trading of plants both locally and to other areas. The indigenous medicinal plant industry also has considerable potential to make a significant positive impact on the economy, welfare and biodiversity. The success of this project will easily mean that;
I think that you will agree with me that the attainment of these objectives will also contribute to our collective quest for a better life. Allow me, Programme Director, to conclude by commending and wish officials spearheading this project more success. I also wish to acknowledge and thank all those who took time to attend this launch.
I thank you.