The PatriotWARNING: on Sunday | www.thepatriot.co.bw Stay Home, | May Wash 17, 2020 hands with Soap & Water, Avoid crowds, Don’t Touch, Hug or KissNews 1 www.thepatriot.co.bw MAY 17, 2020 | ISSUE 374 P12.00 Truckers LOCAL HERBAL SOLUTION protest UB pursues COVID-19 remedy • UB Scientists join the world race for vaccine • Prof Motlhanka confident of herbal remedy COVID-19 • Ropes in prominent local traditional doctors • ‘We don’t want any bureaucratic interference’ BAKANG TIRO rules [email protected] team of scientists at the University of Botswana (UB) could be instrumental in finding effective cure of • Drivers criticize police escorts as A COVID-19; relying on the rich local medicinal plants as oppressive the world races towards finding a cure. The scientists, made up of representatives from three faculties • Decry losses caused by delays at of Medicine, Sciences and Health Sciences at UB is hands-on to produce Anti-Oxidant (Anti COVID-19) herbal remedy to offer Tlokweng border support to patients. Led by Botswana’s only Professor of Pharmacognosy Professor Daniel Motlhanka, who is also a local herbals researcher, the team is BAKANG TIRO & confident of the progress they have made so far. PHILLIMON MMESO In an exclusive interview, Prof Motlhanka – the leading Scientist [email protected] and Principal Investigator – said Botswana will have its Anti- COVID-19 herbal remedy joining countries such as Madagascar cores of cargo truck drivers who enter Botswana which has since produced and launched its herbal cure. through Tlokweng borderpost to deliver goods have He said he has been studying various medicinal plants that are S complained about new Botswana Covid-19 regulations found in Botswana for their Anti-Oxidants properties, noting that that ties them to do ties before entering the country also under some symptoms of virus relate to oxidative stress. police escorts so that they go straight to delivering. “I have been studying a lot from the Madagascar herbal remedy The new regulations have been adopted indefinitely this week on the anti-oxidants properties of the plants they have used. Botswana has plenty of herbs that we are currently working on to after a truck driver who entered Botswana tested positive for Prof Norris COVID-19, hence the tightening of screws on cargo trucks. produce the vaccine. We are going to make it and will win as long as Prof Motlhanka The Patriot on Sunday caught up with some of the drivers who I am taking part,” he said. He said a constituted team of UB scientists will also be embarking enable complement their scientific approach with huge bank of expressed concern about the new process indicating that it Oozing with confidence, the renowned herbal pharmacologist on making a local sanitizer made from medicinal herbs and will be herbal medicine understanding possessed by the doctors; hence compromises their time as well as leading to damage of goods. said their core objective is to formulate and design an Anti-Oxidant used to test the efficiency of sanitizers’ wave. adding more value to remedy. “The traditional healers have a huge One truck driver who said he comes long way from vaccine with targeting coronavirus through support. “Most of sanitizers that are used and sold in the market are knowledge on the use of traditional medicines with regard to Polokwane City in Limpopo province to deliver vegetables He submitted proposal for funding to Office of Research and fake ones. Our looming plant derived sanitizer will be added addressing national health issues such as pandemics,” he asserted, spent two days at the border insisting this poses danger to the Development (ORD) as they gear up to produce Anti-COVID-19 micro-organisms and will be of bombarded diverse sources of the noting that the doctors’ intellectual property will be safeguarded by goods. “Driving from Limpopo to Johannesburg where I start remedy to deal with national health crisis. “This is the time for sanitizers and will do body quality assessment on the influx of paying them royalties from proceeds of remedy. my journey to Gaborone alone is just so depressing due to the universities to rise to the party to produce shots for coronavirus. sanitizers to check their dangers,” he said. distance. Also waiting at the border for two or so days really The remedy could also be crucial in healing the ailments that will Natural Health Products Research He noted that the exercise of coming up with vaccine will be costs me. I have to come to Botswana twice a week but now it come post COVID-19 such as diseases of oxidative stress such as UB Vice Chancellor Professor David Norris said the university running for a period of 24 months; saying that this will enable will be challenging task,” the driver noted. cancer, hypertension and diabetes etc.,” Motlhanka said. has long envisioned to establish a Research Centre for Natural them to be able to adhere to research ethics of producing vaccine. Professor Motlhanka noted he mobilised all the plants that will Health Products Analysis and Pharmaceutical Development. Clamp down Moreover, he highlighted the importance of ensuring public safety, be used for producing the cure and they await approval and testing; He told The Patriot on Sunday that the COVID-19 pandemic has Police started escorting truck drivers from the border when saying their scientific quality assessment of sanitizers is going to adding that the natural resources have rich anti-oxidants. presented an opportunity for them to conduct intensive research they are certified to move into Botswana by health authorities expose most of manufacturing companies. He said many countries are taking the approach of herbal plants by testing natural plants, hence boosting prospects of the Research after satisfied by their results but truckers are not amused. The to search for drugs from natural plants by exploiting anti-oxidants Traditional healers Centre. “We are undertaking impressive researches to come up purpose of police escorting the drivers is to ensure that they of medicinal plants, a way taken by Madagascar. As part of embracing public collaboration, the university has with the solutions that will lead us to producing herbal remedy for go straight to gazetted delivery stations so as to avoid taking of “COVID-19 is an oxidative related ailment and it is difficult for a also recognised the importance of traditional doctors in the value COVID-19. From the COVID-19 lessons UB will turn into a Centre unnecessary trips that can expose the public to danger. hospital to treat an oxidative disease therefore a disease like COVID chain of producing the cure thus partnering with some of them. of natural resources research and we want to produce tangible On Wednesday there was nearly chaos in the escort as -19 is treated from traditional medicine view,” he added. Motlhanka has revealed that they have partnered with three local products,” Prof Norris highlighted. some truck drivers felt that they are free to move around with Sanitizers Invasion powerful and highly knowledgeable healers. These are Nnuku He said UB’s commitment to exploiting the natural resources police minders as long as they are cleared given go ahead into Malebogo, Queen Ramokoba and Otsile Molefhe. into consumable products is also evidenced by their partnership Gaborone. As a result of the COVID-19 ravage, Prof Motlhanka observes Nnuku Malebogo is Palapye-based healer who has claimed with HEVEFRU group from Tlokweng which specialize on herbs The complaints raised by the drivers is that they are used that there has been an influx of sanitizers entering the markets in before to have found the HIV cure. This partnership, he said, will research. to have regular rests in some areas around Tlokweng such as Botswana but said most of them are not of the required quality. along Choppies-Engen mall road before going back to South Africa. “The police just expect us to come straight from the border to deliver and then we expected to go back immediately BCL attracts without taking rests as we usually do to reduce fatigue. The new process is not fair because self-quarantine at border as we await BPF courts Majaga clearance wastes time,” said one driver. PHILLIMON MMESO However, Batswana truck drivers despite moaning by their [email protected] investors fellow counterparts said they found nothing difficulty with the new exercise despite that it takes little bit longer waiting for efore the ink could dry on the suspension letter of • Former MD, Mphathi partners results. In an interview, Morulaganyi Diseko said Batswana Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Paulson Majaga, drivers just like the South Africans are subjected to testing or Canadian investors B from Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), he is already a producing evidence of their results when are arriving from wanted man by other political parties. Through a letter from the South Africa. BDP Secretary General Mpho Balopi, Majaga has been suspended • Atleast three companies show He noted that as truck drivers are vulnerable to contacting for 60 days pending investigations and/or disciplinary proceedings the virus as it continues to surge across the region hence he in light of charges laid against him. Majaga was suspended after he interest to buy BCL immediately fetches goods from Johannesburg and comes was charged with defilement of a 16 year old in his constituency straight to Botswana. between September 2019 and May 2020. PHILLIMON MMESO Director of Health Services Dr Malaki Tshipayagae has issued BDP’s latest offshoot, Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) is allegedly [email protected] a directive that all truck drivers entering Botswana to deliver eyeing the outspoken and controversial legislature to jump ship and goods are required to produce negative COVID-19 results join them in order to consolidate their position in Parliament.