With the all-embracing aim of promoting and celebrating the academic reputation of professorial staff, the second of two inaugural professorial lectures in 2023 to take place at the Faculty of Applied Sciences was delivered recently at the Bellville Campus.
The series began with the Inaugural Professorial Lecture of Prof Vernon Somerset and the second one was delivered by leading academic, Prof Learnmore Kambizi, who discussed his academic experiences and working across both the public sector and academia. This prestigious Inaugural Professorial Lecture by Professor in Horticultural Sciences, Kambizi, was themed: “Sustainable Utilisation and Conservation of Medicinal Plants; A Panacea for Human Health".
The event was attended by the CPUT Executive Management led by Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, Kambizi’s family, community leaders, staff members and students including some from the neighbouring institutions, alumni and invited guests who came along to discover internationally significant research, to exchange ideas and be inspired. The Zimbabwean-born father of three has published over 75 research articles, 10 book chapters and has edited “the first book of its kind” titled: Sustainable Uses and Prospects of Medicinal Plants in 2023 while his second one is under preparation. The recently published book is designed for use by both undergraduate and postgraduate students besides various stakeholders at different levels.
On his academic journey, Kambizi, who is a National Research Foundation C3-rated researcher, completed his PhD in Botany at the University of Fort Hare, has hosted Postdoctoral fellows and he has supervised five PhD students, two from CPUT, 18 master’s students, and numerous Honours students. He has served in various capacities at many universities locally and internationally. Of note, he was appointed as the first Director of the African Centre for Herbal Research based at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria under the banner of the U6 Plus Consortium.
In his opening address, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Nhlapo said the institution was blessed to have someone like Prof Kambizi who has demonstrated excellence through his research, teaching and community services. He said: “As we gather here today, it behoves us to acknowledge the urgent need to preserve these precious resources, to protect them from overuse and exploitation and to work towards sustainable utilisation. We must recognise that these plants are not just a source of medicine but play a crucial role in maintaining a delicate balance of our ecosystem, providing food at times, shelter and habitat for countless species.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these plants are not lost to future generations, and we must work together to develop innovative solutions that balance conservation with the need of human health. We must also recognise the role of traditional knowledge in the preservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants and work towards integrating this knowledge into our modern practices.”
The Dean of Applied Sciences, Prof Joseph Kioko, who read the citation, highlighted that Kambizi has received numerous awards that include research grants within the university and externally and that he is registered with many professional bodies both nationally and internationally. “Worth mentioning, I think is the fact that in the history of CPUT, the first student to graduate with a Doctoral degree in Horticulture was supervised by Prof Kambizi and graduated in 2021. And I think I can say Prof Kambizi has blazed a trail in Horticultural Sciences that I believe will help move the department and the faculty to a higher-level, well done Prof.”
In his inaugural address, Kambizi acknowledged the support he received from the funding agencies, CPUT staff, the Vice Chancellor, the Dean, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Prof Rishidaw Balkaran and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho for providing a conducive environment for him to develop and thrive in all tiers of his career. He also acknowledged the fact that he couldn’t have achieved what he achieved all by himself, saying that he was grateful to his mother who despite not being educated, realised the importance of sending Kambizi to school. He gave special appreciation to his wife Mercy who has been with him when his career started and kept on encouraging him when faced with some challenges during his journey.
Kambizi also applauded the support that he received from the faculty staff, Assistant Dean, Prof Karabo Shale, his doctoral master’s and doctoral students, Postdoctoral fellows. Both Kambizi and Nhlapo acknowledged the excellent work that was done by Prof Antony Afolayan who supervised and groomed Kambizi from the initial stages of his research career. “Prof Afolayan took me step by step through an interesting and rigorous academic journey, and inculcated great values that are required to achieve academic excellence. Through this experience, I realised that double efforts pay off”.
He also acknowledged Prof Ahmed Mohammed who has been mentoring him in the areas of research particularly in Phytochemistry. “Thank you for going as far as even assisting with hosting in your laboratory my guests from abroad on exchange programmes.” Mohammed also delivered a response to the inaugural address by Kambizi, while Phaho acknowledged Kambizi, his family and the guests.
Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
