Top accolade for Rhodes scientist

Luyolo Mkentane WEEKEND POST REPORTER mkentanel@avusa.co.za

A RHODES University research professor who is championing ground-breaking research into a new cancer diagnosis and treatment methodology has received a prestigious award after being nominated one of 10 Women of Excellence in South Africa.

Tebello Nyokong received the Woman of Excellence accolade alongside the likes of Nelson Mandela‘s personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, and television talk show host Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu during the 12th annual City Press/Rapport Prestige Awards.

The awards are aimed at rewarding South Africa‘s most inspirational women in different fields. Ten women were honoured for their achievements.

Nyokong, 57, is National Research Foundation research professor of medicinal chemistry and nanontechnology at Rhodes. She also directs the government-funded Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (Nic) based at the university.

Nominated for the award by Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena, for her research on photodynamic therapy which is an alternative to chemotherapy, Nyokong is no stranger to accolades.

In 2005 President Thabo Mbeki awarded her the Order of Mapungubwe for her contribution to science and in 2004 she received the SABC2 Shoprite/ Checkers Woman of the Year Award in the science and technology category.

Nyokong said through her involvement in nanoscience she aimed to understand cancer better by detecting “disease-causing agents in food, water and blood which would otherwise be in too small concentrations” to detect.

“The final aim is to develop sensors (which will look like a television remote control) for the detection of food toxins and pesticides in water. This will help in giving early advice on disease prevention such as oesophageal cancer, which has been linked to toxins in maize. Thus my two projects are linked,” she explained.

She said the cancer diagnosis and treatment methodology she was working on used a red laser light and dye similar to that used in blue denims to target cancer. “We‘ve just signed an agreement with the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research to take my drugs to a new level (and) as an African I‘m excited.”

She added that Rhodes University had been selected as one of three Nic centres funded by the science and technology department, through Mintek, which were world leaders in minerals research and development.

Nyokong, who is director of the centre, said they were expecting Mangena to visit the Nic at Rhodes later this year.

Nyokong graduated with a BSc (honours) from the University of Lesotho before obtaining her MSc in chemistry at McMaster University in Canada in 1981. This was followed by her PhD at the University of Western Ontario in Canada in 1987.

She then received a Fullbright Fellowship for post-doctoral study at the University of Notre Dame in the US in 1990.

On her return to Africa she taught at the University of Lesotho before joining Rhodes in 1992 as a lecturer. She quickly climbed the ranks and became senior lecturer, associate professor and then professor.

As a research professor at Rhodes, Nyokong is training students at honours, masters and doctoral level in research and “empowering them to be the future innovators”.

“Africans need to solve African problems by being innovators (and) that time has come.”

“If we are innovators, we can stop depending on other countries. This is true African Renaissance.”

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