Ingqophamlando Kofundisa Ezokulumbanisa Izithombo e-UKZN Enhlanganweni Yabatshalayo

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UDkt Julia Sibiya waseSikoleni sezeSayensi yezoLimo, ezoMhlaba neMvelo (i-SAEES) uqokwe njengePhini likaMongameli lokuqala we-African Plant Breeders’ Association (i-APBA) engqungqutheleni yayo yokuqala e-University of Ghana e-Accra eyayingomhlazingama-23 kuya kumhlazingama-25 kuMfumfu.

Kule ngqungquthela bekukhona ongoti, abacwaningi nabafundi abangama-421 bevela emikhakheni kahulumeni nezimele ethinta ukulumbanisa imbewu nesayensi yezembewu, bevela emazweni angama-30. Abangamaphesenti angama-40 bekungososayensi besifazane.

Isihloko sengqungquthela besingamagalelo ezindleleni ezindala zokulumbanisa imbewu nokusetshenziswa kwezindlela ezintsha zokulimela ukuthi kungasweleki ukudla e-Afrika. Izithunywa zidingide imiphumela yocwaningo ngokulumbanisa imbewu namathuba akhona kule ndima. Lo mcimbi ube yinkundla yokuhlangana kwabantu abakulo mkhakha, baqinise nokusebenzisana emkhakheni yezinhlelo zokuphathwa kwembewu.

I-PBA yesekelwe nge-African Centre for Crop Improvement (i-ACCI) e-UKZN ne-West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (i-WACCI) e-University of Ghana nge-Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (i-AGRA) ne-University of California Davis African Plant Breeding Academy (i-AfPBA), eseziqeqeshe amakhulu abalimi e-Afrika yonke. Ngokwanda kwesibalo sabantu abalumbanisa imbewu e-Afrika ngenxa yalezi zikhungo, ososayensi base-Afrika basezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme, izinhlangano zocwaningo nezinkampani ezizimele babona isidingo sengosi enjenge-APBA.

Le nhlangano yenza umsebenzi wokuqeqesha abantu, ukuxazulula izinkinga, ukutshala abantu nezimpahla zokusebenza nokuthuthukisa indima yezolimo yase-Afrika ngezinhlelo zokulumbanisa imbewu ezisebenzayo nokusiza ohulumeni, izinkampani zembewu, ezingenzi nzuzo nabalimi abazimele. Umsebenzi wayo kuzoba wukuhlanganisa amalungu nabalingani bawo nokubanika ulwazi oludingekayo ikakhulukazi mayelana neNjongo yesi-2 ku-Sustainable Development Goals lokuqeda indlala.

‘Sifisa i-APBA ibe yinhlangano ehlonishwayo ezoba yingosi yokudingida umsebenzi esiwenzayo e-Afrika,’ kusho uSibiya.

USibiya ukhulume ngobumqoka bokuhlanganisa abalimi bayeke ukusebenza ngabodwana, bahlanganise amakhanda ukugwema ukuphinda izinto, ukusebenzisana nokukhuthazana.

‘Ngiyazi kunjani ukuhlanganisa abalimi,’ kusho uSibiya, ekhuluma ngevuso lakhe lokusungula le nhlangano. ‘E-Afrika yonke, sinombono ofanayo wokuqinisekisa ukuthi kunokudla okwanele nokuthi siphucula isimo sezitshalo ezweni lethu ngakho kumqoka ukuthi abalimi bahlangane.’

USibiya, ofundisa eMkhakheni wokuLumbanisa iMbewu e-UKZN, ungomunye wabokuqala abafunda e-ACCI, lapho enza khona iziqu zobudokotela kwezokulumbanisa imbewu ngonyaka wezi-2005. Wenza i-BSc Honours kwezeSayensi yeziThombo e-University of Zimbabwe wenza iMastazi ku-Plant Pathology e-Ohio State University eMelika.

Wafundisa i-Plant Pathology e-University of Zimbabwe ngaphambi kokwenza iziqu zobudokotela e-ACCI wase efundisa kusukela ngowezi-2011. Manje ubheke umsebenzi ohlelweni oluxhaswe yi-AGRA i-Improved Masters in Cultivar Development for Africa e-UKZN, nomxhumanisi we-EU-Intra Africa Academic Mobility (i-Mobreed) egxile ekukhuliseni izitshalo ezisetshenziswa kancane.

Amagama: u-Christine Cuénod

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe