President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended those seeking traditional medicinal techniques to help find a cure for the coronavirus.
South Africa remains on the list of top 10 countries with the most coronavirus cases – having recorded over 665 000 infections.
President Ramaphosa was speaking in a virtual 2020 National Heritage Day keynote address.
“This year’s Heritage Day is taking place in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has taken a toll on human life, communities and our economy and in this time of the pandemic we have seen the knowledge of medicinal plants increase.”
President Ramaphosa delivers the 2020 National Heritage Day address:
“As much as we join the international community in the search for diagnostics and therapeutics and a vaccine, we are also looking at the real and important contribution indigenous knowledge systems – particularly traditional medicine – can play in improving the health outcomes of our people.”
Ramaphosa sent a message of hope amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying the country will work towards recovering from the worldwide crisis and rebuild the economy.
“In the wake of COVID-19, and well into the future, it will remain our singular concern to recover from this crisis and rebuild our lives and economy. We will continue to strive to eradicate poverty, inequality and underdevelopment.”
“We will continue to uphold the rights of all our people, to practice their cultures, speak their languages and practice their traditions. We will continue to support every effort to preserve our common heritage as well as those of individual communities.”
