Hon Chairperson, I hereby give notice that I shall move on the next sitting day of the House:
That the Council -
1) congratulates Nelson Mandela Metro University scientist Prof Richard Cowling on being awarded one of the most prestigious medals for scientific merit in Southern Africa, the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science (S2A3) South Africa Gold Medal for 2009;
2) notes that Prof Cowling, as a botanist and a world leader on threatened ecosystems, has in his research on ecological and evolutionary patterns provided insight into the diversity of these systems;
3) recognises his work on the development of conservation plans with explicit targets and his widely acclaimed research for achieving the goal of biodiversity persistence in the face of human-induced change;
4) also congratulates him on his foresight in involving other role- players to target features that deliver ecosystem services and in addition secure several hundred thousand hectares of otherwise threatened ecosystems for conservation management; and
(5) acknowledges that the award ceremony will take place at the Sci- Enza building at the Discovery Centre, University of Pretoria, on 4 November 2009 where Prof Cowling will give a memorial lecture.