<strong>Limpopo</strong> <strong>Leader</strong> is published bythe Office <strong>of</strong> the Vice-Chancellor,<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>,PO Box X1106,Sovenga 0727,<strong>Limpopo</strong> Province,South Africa.HYPERLINK “http://www.ul.ac.za”www.ul.ac.zaEDITOR: David Robbins.Tel: 011-792-9951 or082-787-8099 ordgrwrite@iafrica.comADVERTISING:Clare-Rose JuliusTel: 011-782-0333 or072-545-2366EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:DK Mohuba (chairman)Daphney KgwebaneNorman NyazemaElizabeth LubingaDavid RobbinsGail RobbinsARTICLES: written by Janice Hunt:Campus with a past – page 4; FromTurbulence to Triumph – page 6;Looking back at Medunsa’s earlydays – page 7; News <strong>of</strong> the dayfrom Mendusa archives – page 8;Ancedotes and insights – page 10PHOTOGRAPHS: Liam Lynch: Coverpage; pages 1, 3 (not top photograph),pages 15, 19, 23, 25, 29,30 & 32 Medunsa PhotographicArchive: page 3 – top; pages 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 12 on right & backcover; photographs fromPr<strong>of</strong>essor Len Karlsson: pencildrawing – page 10; page 12 onleft; photographs from The BiggerPicture; pages: 13, 20 & 21;photographs from David Robbins:page 17 & 27DESIGN AND LAYOUT:RED Advertising and Design StudioPRINTING: Colorpress (pty) LtdPRODUCTION MANAGEMENT:DGR Writing & ResearchTel: 011-782-0333 or082-572-1682dgrwrite@iafrica.comwww.dgrwriting.co.zaARTICLES MAY BE REPRINTED WITHACKNOWLEDGEMENTISSN: 1812-5468EDITORIALtOUR ANECDOTAL LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE DR. GEORGEMUKHARI HOSPITAL AND THE MEDICAL SCHOOL NEXT DOORBEGINS IN THIS ISSUE. The story is a remarkable one because it is soclosely bound up with the South African political narrative that playeditself out over the last few decades <strong>of</strong> the 20th century.Begun as part <strong>of</strong> an ‘antidote’ to black frustrations as manifested in theSoweto uprisings, the Medical <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Southern Africa had anuncertain beginning. Would it become a ‘bush university’, inferior toother medical schools? Or would it be able to hold it head up in suchillustrious company as the medical training <strong>of</strong>fered by the universities<strong>of</strong> Cape Town, Wits, Pretoria and the Free State? That the answer tothe second question is a definite ‘yes’ was not a foregone conclusion.The vicissitudes <strong>of</strong> fortune that were experienced by both medicalschool and attendant teaching hospital are well documented in thisissue. It’s a story <strong>of</strong> triumph – and it’s a story that will continue in ourAutumn 2009 issue. Contact us if you’ve got a story to tell and you’dlike to be included.There’s interesting coverage in this issue <strong>of</strong> the relevance <strong>of</strong> indigenousknowledge. The essential characteristic <strong>of</strong> the European Renaissancewas a rekindling <strong>of</strong> interest in the first flowering <strong>of</strong> western learningamong the ancient Greeks and Romans. The same process shouldbe happening in Africa, but the continent’s wisdom has tended tobe downgraded, first by the all-consuming ‘superiority’ <strong>of</strong> Europeanempires, and now by the equally consuming ‘modernity’ <strong>of</strong> the globalvillage. Key concerns in our coverage are: how to nurture indigenousknowledge and how to position it in modern educational practice.Also <strong>of</strong> interest is a collection <strong>of</strong> articles under the umbrella title <strong>of</strong>‘Adding value to Earth’s Bounty’, which examines the work being doneat the university to promote agricultural downstreaming in <strong>Limpopo</strong>Province. Read about Turfloop’s new Agro-Food Processing ResearchUnit, and about a Micro Brewer Brewery that has made anappearance in the Department <strong>of</strong> Biochemistry, Microbiology andBiotechnology. Then learn about the trials that are being conducted onan Ethiopian and East African plant that could introduce a bit <strong>of</strong>genuine green into petro-chemical products like plastics, PVC andepoxy resins.And there’s quite a lot more besides.NEXT ISSUELOOK OUT FOR PART TWO OF OUR SERIES ON THE HISTORY OFMEDUNSA (NOW THE MEDICAL SCHOOL ON THE GA-RANKUWACAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO) AND THE ADJACENTDR. GEORGE MUKHARI HOSPITAL. There’ll also be more pr<strong>of</strong>iles <strong>of</strong>the new executive team: notably <strong>of</strong> the new Deputy VC andGa-Rankuwa campus Principal and the new executive dean <strong>of</strong> theFaculty <strong>of</strong> Health Sciences. Apart from that, there’ll be excitingcoverage <strong>of</strong> new developments on the Turfloop campus; and anexamination (based on research conducted by the Southern AfricanRegional Universities Association) <strong>of</strong> the fate and potential <strong>of</strong> postindependenceAfrican universities. Subscribe now to secure your copy.P A G E 2
IN THIS ISSUEcover picturePr<strong>of</strong>essor Emil Abotsi <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Limpopo</strong>’s Department <strong>of</strong>Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology in the Micro BrewerBrewery that has recently been installed on the Turfloop campus,courtesy <strong>of</strong> the South African Breweries (SAB). See the story onpage 24.p age 5:CAMPUS WITH A PAST:delving into the history <strong>of</strong> the university’s medical school.p a g e 6 :The Dr. George Mukhari Hospital’s passageFROM TURBULENCE TO TRIUMPH.p a ge 7:LOOKING BACK AT MEDUNSA’S EARLY DAYS.p age 8:NEWS OF THE DAY FROM THE MEDUNSA ARCHIVES.p age 10:ANECDOTES AND INSIGHTS: an interview with a pioneer.p a g e 1 3 :The planned Rural Development Hub gets to grips withTHE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION AND VISION.p age 14:GETTING AFRICA INTO HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING ANDRESEARCH: read the latest about indigenous knowledge systems.p age 16:RIGHTING THE COLONIAL IMBALANCE:more on indigenous knowledge.p age 18:SEEING HOW FAR THE CAR CAN GO:an interview with one <strong>of</strong> South Africa’s foremost scientists.p age 20:ADDING VALUE TO EARTH’S BOUNTY:agricultural downstreaming at Turfloop.p age 22:TURNING BASIC CROPS INTO COMMERCIAL PRODUCT.p age 2 4 :MALTING, MILLING, MASHING AND MATURATION.p age 26:ETHIOPIAN POTENTIAL FLOWERS IN LIMPOPO.p a ge 2 8 :The new E-team: THE WISDOM FACTOR, Nhlanhla Maake.p age 30:The new E-team: INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURER, Obeng Mireku.p a ge 32:The new E-team: ENTHUSIASTIC MANAGER, Hlengani Siweya.
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