The Premier of North West, Ms Modise;
Members of the Provincial Cabinet;
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology,
Dr N Ngcobo;
Members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Indigenous Knowledge;
Delegates;
Distinguished guests;
Good morning. I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone gathered here to promote and display the buoyancy and brilliance of our indigenous and cultural heritage.
I would also like to thank the Premier and the people of Mahikeng for the warm and hospitable reception accorded us.
Today we are here to enjoy the fourth Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Expo.
During my walk through the exhibits this morning, what struck me is the range and quality of the indigenous products being displayed.
These products are of an impressive and high quality, and reveal the potential of our country to become a major producer in the global indigenous trade.
I see that this year’s theme is Re na le rona, re ipela ka Kitso ya rona.
It’s appropriate that we should seek to make this knowledge part of our education system, and hence the focus this year is on ‘indigenous knowledge and education’.
The focus is on improving schools management, monitoring and evaluating systems and supporting and developing a high quality teaching profession.
The Department of Science and Technology has 3 IKS priorities.
The first of these priorities is the development of a regulatory environment for the protection of IKS.
The second is the development of the National Recordal System for the collection, recording, documenting, storage and management and dissemination of IKS in the communities in the nine provinces of the country.
Until the orally transmitted and rapidly disappearing indigenous knowledge is recorded, it will be difficult to protect.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is now implementing the second phase of the National Recordal System.
The National Recordal System is the largest fingerprint initiative of the region to document and record indigenous knowledge. This system will collect successful grassroots community knowledge and experiences, which will prove to be a valuable resource in improving our understanding of how communities empower themselves to manage their own development.
I can report that, in addition to the establishment of the IKS Documentation Centre in the KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo Provinces, we are in the process of establishing an IKS Documentation Centre in the Moruleng area.
Our aim in the next two years is to establish IKS Documentation Centres in all the nine provinces.
The third strategic priority is applied research.
I think specifically of bio-prospecting activities.
For example, with funding from the National Research Foundation, the Medical Research Council is developing the Moritela Tshwene Tea Project near Zeerust in the North West, with the aim of producing a nutritional herbal tea for the commercial market.
I welcome this development and I think in time some of you here will enjoy its fruits as well.
For most South Africans, indigenous knowledge is not something elusive or mysterious. Rather, it is what local communities know and do, and what local communities have known and done for generations.
Interfacing our indigenous philosophies and methodologies with those of mainstream sciences will contribute to the development of a unique set of graduates, who will be committed to developing the social, environmental, cultural and economic health of communities.
It’s in this context that the DST has identified curriculum development as a strategic key for mainstreaming indigenous knowledge in the educational landscape.
Unless we help to change curricula in institutions of learning, indigenous knowledge will remain peripheral to much of our society.
The DST is also committed to improving the educational and employment prospects of students working in the field of indigenous knowledge systems.
We know how important successful transition from university to work or further education is in ensuring young people have the best opportunities.
South Africa’s rapid progress in indigenous knowledge has been made possible through the sheer ability, tenacity and wisdom of its educational leaders.
South Africa, and particular the North West Province, are fortunate to have strong and respected teachers and wisdom keepers such as Baba Credo Mutwa and Mama Grace Masuku.
Baba Mutwa has contributed immensely though his books, cultural centres and countless discourses on science, technology, cosmology, medicines and social cohesion.
We are proud today that he has given us much of his knowledge in the form of his books like Indaba My Children, Isilwane, Song of the Stars, and many more.
Equally, Mama Masuku, besides being a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee, has contributed abundantly to indigenous knowledge by establishing two museums, and has done extensive ethnographic research, collected and preserved oral history and testimony of the Bakgatla Ba-Kgafela communities in Moruleng.
We accept and respect these intellectuals as living treasures and accept the challenge of ensuring that the indigenous knowledge that they have shared with us, our most precious assets, are protected.
In conclusion, I urge all of you to share your experiences widely with fellow educators.
I would like you to come forward with bold proposals aimed at improving excellence in research and teaching, especially in the areas of indigenous knowledge systems, science and technology.
Finally, I would like to thank our speakers and presenters, and I wish you an enriching and stimulating time of learning and sharing at the 4th IKS Expo and Workshop.
Re a leboga
Dankie
Enkosi
Ha khensa
Ro livhuwa
Siyabonga
Thank you
