Nature’s Pharmacy
The Pondoland Wild Coast, known for its immense beauty and wealth of biodiversity, is under serious threat. Highway extension plans and a mining proposal have made the local community leaders and organizations, come together to try and protect this vulnerable yet abundant land. One such leader spearheading the fight against unsustainable forms of development is Sinegugu Zukulu, a Pondoland resident.
In Nature’s Pharmacy we travel to Sinegugu’s birthplace and discover the vast amount of endemic plant species unique to the area. We are also introduced to members of the community whose relationship to the land exceeds any benefit from the material world. Sinegugu speaks about his stewardship programme and highlights the importance of protecting indigenous knowledge. His message is a call to action, a call for people to begin valuing the environment and the “magic” of plants, a call on the elders to start teaching and on the young generation to start listening.
Nature’s Pharmacy is produced by African Renaissance Productions for STEPS and SANBI as part of the Caretakers series.