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Indigenous Knowledge

Expo to promote SA’s indigenous knowledge

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:55

Nthambeleni Gabara

The Department of Science and Technology will host a week-long expo to raise public awareness and understanding of the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS).

The IKS Expo, which kicks off on 26 July 2010 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), will be opened by Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor.

Through the IKS Expo, the department hopes to raise public awareness and understanding of IKS in South Africa. Indigenous knowledge is described as facts about medicinal plants, indigenous games, indigenous food crops and musical instruments to mention but a few.

The expo will further demonstrate the relevance of indigenous knowledge and technologies to the country’s economy and rural and community development. Information about what government departments, science councils, higher education institutions, civil society and communities are undertaking to promote, develop and protect indigenous knowledge will also be shared. This will also include progress made with regulatory issues relating to Bioprospecting, access and benefit-sharing agreements.

The IKS Expo, organised by the department, in partnership with the Northern Flagship Institution and other government departments and science councils, will be held under the theme: “Our indigenous knowledge, our pride, ulwazi lwethu ukuzigqaja kwethu.”

As part of the expo activities, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Provincial Department of Health will host a national conference on traditional medicines and HIV and AIDS.

The minister will be accompanied by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba. BuaNews