BIOCULTURAL PROTOCOL
2010
Healers from other areas who contact any of us for particular information will be directed to
the Executive Committee who will conduct a process of community deliberation and
ancestral consultation to decide whether the knowledge should be shared and on what
basis.
Academic researchers must apply to the Executive Committee for any access to our
traditional knowledge or indigenous biological resources. We will require, according to the
BABS Regulations and the BABS Amendment Regulations, to see the letter from the
Department of Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA) stating that they can conduct the
research. The Executive Committee will conduct an information gathering process to
ascertain the exact parameters of the intended research. With that information the
Committee will, based on our customary laws, conduct a process of community deliberation
and ancestral consultation to decide whether the knowledge should be shared and on what
basis. Where access is granted, it will be on condition that further consent is required if the
intended use of the research is changed and for a range of non-monetary benefits including
acknowledgement that we are the holders of the original knowledge. Any dealing with us
must be conducted in total transparency.
Commercial bio-prospectors are welcome to engage us. They must first apply to the
Executive Committee for any access to our traditional knowledge or indigenous biological
resources. We will require, according to the Bio-prospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing
Regulations, any commercial bio-prospecting company to provide us with all information
relating to the intended use of the knowledge and/or indigenous biological resource. With
that information the Committee will, according to our customary laws, conduct a process of
community deliberation and ancestral consultation to decide whether the knowledge should
be shared and on what basis. That will form the start of a process of negotiation with the
company towards a benefit sharing agreement and material transfer agreement, if required.
Benefits could include monetary and/or non monetary benefits.
We call on: the Department of Water Affairs and Environment and the Department of Science and
Technology to visit us to discuss how we can assist them with their respective progammes on access
and benefit sharing and Farmer to Pharma. We also call on the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks
Agency as well as the Mpumalanga Rural Development Programme to engage us to better
understand our needs and what we can offer as joint implementers of conservation and livelihood
projects. We feel that a multi-stakeholder approach to these issues is central to improving the
current situation.
Call for local dialogue
To address the misconceptions about our practices we call on the following local groups to engage
with us to discuss our role in the lives of our communities: traditional leaders, local health facilities,
political organizations and church leaders.
TRADITIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS OF BUSHBUCKRDIGE
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