Hon House Chair, I move without notice:
That the House -
1) notes that in October every year the Khoisan communities and the Queen of Balobedu, Modjadji, holds thanksgiving ceremonies for rain and fertility of the soil;
2) recalls that these ceremonies were part of ancient African community practices from time immemorial, wherein communities had special astronomer priests (Mukuapasi) who observed the movement of celestial bodies and their effect on the climate and weather;
3) further recalls that even our national and international heritage site at Mapungubwe was an observatory site where astronomer priests observed celestial bodies and climate change and when the climate changed they moved to establish a new settlement at Great Zimbabwe, and even today Mapungubwe remains the principal rainmaking centre;
4) believes that the indigenous knowledge system played a very important role in determining climate and climate change;
5) urges the Government to celebrate these annual thanksgiving ceremonies;
6) further urges the organisers of COP 17 to tap into this indigenous knowledge system by engaging with the indigenous communities in preparation for COP 17; and
7) wishes the Khoisan communities and the Queen of Balobedu, Modjadji, success in their thanksgiving ceremonies for rain and fertility of the soil.
Agreed to.