Former Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria Professor Jean Lubuma joined FABIans at the Monday morning meeting on 28 October, giving them an opportunity to wish him well on his retirement. Prof Barend Erasmus took over from Prof Lubuma on 1 October, who took the helm in 2015. FABI Director Prof. Bernard Slippers commended Prof. Lubuma for steering a “vehicle that continues to function optimally” despite many challenges such as the #FeesMustFall protests in 2016.

Prof. Slippers presented Prof. Lubuma a handmade knife, which he asked him to “buy” from him with a R2 coin nestled in its gift box. This is because according to legend, giving a knife as a gift is not only bad luck but also signifies a severing of the friendship between the giver and the recipient. To offset this, a coin is included with the gift for the recipient to buy the knife from the giver, thereby maintaining the relationship. 

Prof. Lubuma maintained that though retired, he was not by any means “tired”. He said he was honoured to have served the Faculty and was grateful for the support he received from FABI. This support, he said, had allowed him to look at challenges as opportunities for greater success. He encouraged FABI to give Prof. Erasmus the same support and to continue with research that has put NAS and UP on the map.