Water and Environmental Affairs Minister, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica, will preside over the ceremonial hand over of the first bioprospecting licence to HGH Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd in Khwa Ttu in the Western Cape this Friday, 1 October 2010. The event forms part of the minister’s Public Participation programme.
The bioprospecting licence, approved by the minister on 8 December 2009, grants HGH Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd local and international research on cultivated plant material and extracts from Sceletium tortuosum which is commonly referred to as kanna, channa or kougoed and to commercialise the product for central nervous system conditions. The San peoples are acknowledged as the primary indigenous knowledge holders of certain medicinal and other uses of Sceletium.
South African San Council (SASC), Paulshoek and Nourivier communities are the beneficiaries of the commercialisation of the Sceletium tortuosum product. A benefit sharing agreement is in place.
This product has been used by nomadic pastoralists and hunter gatherers as a mood altering substance from pre-historic times. According to National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), no person may trade commercially on any indigenous biological resource from South Africa without a permit ensuring sustainable harvesting issued by the minister.
The awarding comes as South Africa prepares to participate at the tenth meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held in Nagoya, Japan from 18 to 29 October 2010, where it will be considering an extensive agenda that will include the adoption of an international regime on access and benefits sharing whose negotiations are at a critical stage.
Media is invited to the event.
The details of the hand-over are as follows:
Venue: !Khwa ttu San Cultural & Education Centre, Western Cape
Date: Friday, 1 October 2010
Time: 10h00 until 13h00
To RSVP contact:
Xolani Ngqoshela
Tel:012-310 3078
E-mail:XNgqoshela@environment.gov.za
Moses Rannditsheni
Tel:012-310 3901
Cell: 082 448 2450
E-mail:MRannditsheni@environment.gov.za
For media queries contact
Albi Modise
Cell:083 490 2871
