Inyanga yekhala: What does the meaning of July have to do with IKS?

Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) is a thematic research niche area for Africa (McGregor et al, 2023 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2023.02.009 ).

The naming of July as eyeKhala (the month of aloe) in the Xhosa language of South Africa is not coincidental. It is based on Indigenous knowledge about plant response to environment. It is understandable that modern plant scientists would not fully agree with the rating of this indigenous knowledge at the level of science, arguing that it is based on a simple observation of plant response to environment – Aloe africana, the indigenous species of Eastern Cape, flowers profusely in July.

Denialism may be due to the deepening ignorance about the value of our IKS, especially in the context of science and innovation in South Africa. Further, my disagreement with the “IKS denialists’ can be justified by the fact that all science is based primarily on observation. Identification has led to the discovery of many aloe species in southern Africa (Klopper and Smith, 2020 - Aloe genus | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org). Ethnobotany, physiology and biochemistry research have led to the discovery of health benefits of aloe. For example, aloe contains compounds for healing wounds, reducing wrinkles, lowering blood sugar levels, etc.

“The Xhosa people, primarily inhabiting the former Transkei region in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, use aloe for various purposes, including medicinal applications” - www.aloefatherzago.com/aloe-arborescens-properties-benefits/ . The WSU Faculty of Natural Sciences strategy dialogue in the first week of July 2024 identified the need to accelerate research-led community engagement with a greater focus on the link between science and the culture. We aim to develop meaningful relations with the government, the private sector, and other institutions to realise this vision. The yardstick for our success and impact will be the revival of indigenous knowledge to make it part of science, innovation, and technology across all four of our departments – Applied Sciences, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science. This is in line with the Walter Sisulu University vision and the South African government’s strategic innovation and skills direction.

By Professor Albert T. Modi, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.