SANSA, ASSAf & SACNASP 2022/23 Annual Performance Plan; DHET Budget: Committee Report

Higher Education, Science and Innovation

06 May 2022
Chairperson: Ms N Mkhatshwa (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

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Academy of Science SA (ASSAf)

SA Council for Natural Scientific Professions

SA National Space Agency                 

Tabled Committee Reports

The Committee convened in a virtual meeting for a briefing by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) on their 2022/23 annual performance plans and budget.

The number of executive-level vacancies was of concern to the Committee. The entities were in the process of recruiting new executives and were able to demonstrate that the continuation of business had not been disrupted as a result of the deployment of existing staff in acting positions. The entities were encouraged to keep the transformation agenda in mind when they fill vacant positions.

Funding was one of the key challenges facing all three entities. Parliamentary Grants were found to be inadequate and had a negative impact on the implementation of project plans and initiatives. Entities were relying on national and international partnerships for additional sources of funding. The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) was providing support. Entities were encouraged to approach the Committee should they require additional support for increased capacity to fulfil their mandates to service clients and the broader society.

The Committee also adopted its Report on the Department of Higher Education and Training Budget Vote.

Meeting report

The Chairperson apologised for the delay with the start of the meeting.

Apologies were received from the Minister, Dr B Nzimande, the Deputy Minister, Mr B Manamela, the Director-General, DSI, Dr P Mjwara and ASSAf Board Chairperson, Prof J Jansen.

The Chairperson noted with concern the apologies from the Department and related entities considering that the readiness for the year ahead and dealing with crucial matters were being discussed.  

South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Presentation

Ms Xoliswa Kakana, Board Chairperson, SANSA, said the entity achieved key milestones and remained on course to achieve the objectives in terms of the 2020/2025 Strategic Plan. The focus of the Board was on the transition of the new Business Model and the filling of key vacancies. 

Ms Andiswa Mlisa, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SANSA, remarked that the agency celebrated 11 years of existence in April 2022. The 2020/25 strategy was being revised to meet the objectives in terms of the following five pillars as stipulated in the SANSA Act, No. 36 of 2008:

Promote the peaceful use of outer space;
Foster international cooperation in space-related activities;
Foster research in space science, communication, navigation and space physics;
Advance scientific engineering, and technological competencies through human capital development and infrastructure development programmes; and
Support the creation of an environment conducive to industrial development in space technology.

The key strategic priorities included the generation of space relevant knowledge that supports the developmental agenda and the development of the required human capacity needed for the implementation of key space initiatives.

The agency started an Institutional Review process and would be sharing the outcomes of the review at the next engagement with the Committee. 

Ms Leoni Engelbrecht, Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), SANSA, stated that the income over the three previous years was at an average of R294 million. The increase to R558 million in the 2021/22 financial year was mainly due to the Parliamentary Grant for the implementation of strategic initiatives and Ring-fencing Grants for the Space Weather Centre and Earth Observation Initiatives. The 22% reduction in the Parliamentary Grant and some of the Ring-fenced Grants bring the income to R327 million in the 2022/23 financial year. The total revenue over the MTEF period was R1 billion. The reduction in income reinforces the alignment of SANSA’s financial strategy to seek additional sources of income to fund the new Business Model. Expenditure over the past three years was R282 million. The expenditure for the 2021/22 financial year was limited to additional funding. Employee compensation was higher than the Parliamentary Grant. The estimated Capital Expenditure budget had to be reduced due to the lack of funding. The expenditure budget over the MTEF period was R1 billion. The budget was insufficient to cover the costs.

Ms Mlisa extended an invitation to the Committee to visit the new Space Weather Centre situated in Hermanus in the Western Cape.

(See Presentation)

Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Presentation

Prof Stephanie Burton, Board Vice-president, ASSAf, stated that she was representing Prof Jonathan Jansen. One of the key mandates of the academy was to offer evidence-based scientific advice to the government and other stakeholders. ASSAf aspires to be the leading organisation for science and scholarship and hold excellence as a high priority which is illustrated in the policies, strategies and activities of the academy. The progress report would reflect the impact of the activities of the academy during this reporting period. 

Prof Himla Soodyall, CEO, ASSAf, acknowledged the contribution of previous drafts of the report by the DSI and the Minister. Their input and constructive comments were of value. The academy was established in 2001 and had been operational since 2006. ASSAf was striving to promote science among young scientists and the broader public. The academy was using the bandwidth of all 633 of its members across all sectors of science to address local challenges. The goals of the academy remained unchanged in terms of the Strategic Plan.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, ASSAf hosted 65 webinars with a total reach of 36.2 million participants. The academy had been participating in the Disaster Management Forum and contributed to the Covid-19 Report in partnership with Government Communications and Information system (GCIS) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

ASSAf had 17 performance indicators in the 2020/21 financial year and significantly outperformed most of its targets. The key risks for the academy related to human capital, funding and information and technology management. Mitigation strategies were identified to address these challenges.

Mr Morakeng Chiloane, Finance Manager, ASSAf, presented the financial report of the academy. Government provided 90% of the funding for the academy. Income in the outer years was an indication of future or projected income. He acknowledged the secretariat, the council and the academy for being given the opportunity to present ASSAf.

(See Presentation)

South African Council for Natural Science Professions (SACNASP) Presentation

Prof Khathutshelo Nephawe, Council Chairperson, SACNASP, said the term of the previous council ended last year. This was the first presentation of the new council. He remarked that the recruitment process for the new CEO had started.

Ms Sarah van Aardt, Acting CEO, SACNASP, stated the five strategic goals of the council:

To proactively advise government and relevant stakeholders about the contributions and role of the Natural Science Professions;
To enforce high professional and ethical standards for the natural science workforce;
To promote the natural science profession and science engagement;
To promote the professional development and transformation of the natural science sector; and
To foster a culture of good governance.

The Minister raised two key areas for development in which SACNASP should get involved, i.e. the development of a proposal on skills programme and active participation in the District Development Model.

Mr Terence Mangalana, CFO, SACNASP, reported revenue growth of 20% from R16 million in 2021 to R19 million in 2022. The DSI would be requested to assist in doubling project funding for five units and to upgrade the IT platforms.  

Ms van Aardt said the positive outcomes in 2021/22 were achieved with the support of the DSI.

(See Presentation)

Discussion

The Chairperson called on officials of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to engage the Committee.

Ms Gugulethu Zwane, Deputy Director-General: Institutional Planning and Support, DSI, had nothing further to add to what had been presented by the three entities.

Ms J Mananiso (ANC) acknowledged all three presentations received. From some of the presentations, she noted that the Department had a good story to tell in terms of transformation. But she noted with concern the underperformance of targets by SANSA. The Committee would want to see progress rather than a decline in performance. The recent natural disaster in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Eastern Cape and North West provinces reflected the need for early warning systems. She wanted to know how SANSA was contributing to anticipating a disaster and thereby mitigating the impact of the disaster by ensuring that people are evacuated. She enquired how SANSA was assisting in building the required capabilities to mitigate risks and if the capabilities of the Space Weather Centre had been used. She asked what factors, based on the scientific knowledge and capabilities of SANSA, could have mitigated the impact of the disaster in KZN and other areas and if the disaster could have been avoided. She requested an update of the new target across government departments and public service entities that use geospatial information. She asked how many private sector clients the entity had and requested details about the types of joint ventures on a continental and global level. She asked what interventions were required to expand the scope in terms of telecommunications, navigation and positioning applications and technologies and what economic impact could an expanded mandate have. She wanted to know what the limiting factors were for fundraising in the capital market and if SANSA would be approaching the Infrastructure Fund in this regard. She asked what factors were contributing to the prolonged transfer of the Houwteq facility from Denel to SANSA.

The SACNASP annual target for the retention of natural scientists was 80%. Ms Mananiso enquired about the factors that were contributing to the entity not being able to retain registered natural scientists. She asked how the entity was promoting professional registration and what the demographic spread of registered natural scientists was and how many were estimated not to be registered. She enquired about the type of audience involved in public awareness engagements and what the targeted reach of the audience or participants was. She asked what the benefits were for students participating in the learning pathways programme. She wanted to know what the relative competitiveness of our institutions was on a global level and which of the programmes were less offered in higher education institutions. She requested SANSA and SACNASP to submit detailed programmes of action in terms of strategies to mitigate all identified challenges to enable the Committee to do its accountability and oversight function.

Ms D Sibiya (ANC) asked what plans SANSA had to address the Parliamentary Grant that was inadequate for project planning and implementation. SANSA completed a R3 billion environmental impact assessment project. She asked what the impact of the implementation of this project was. She enquired about the notable input of ASSAf and how the entity could expand its impact. She asked if the entity was working with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in providing adequate policy advice to improve learning outcomes and promote science education.

Ms N Marchesi (DA) requested SANSA to provide specific detail of their interventions to promote STEM subjects such as science and mathematics. She asked if SANSA had an in-depth understanding of what had happened in the KZN environment and if the information could be shared so that Members have a better understanding of the situation. She wanted to know if adequate warnings were in place and what steps could have been taken to alert people in advance to make them aware of what could happen in order for citizens to mitigate their safety. She asked why only 203 of the 307 approved posts had been filled and requested an explanation for the eight vacant administration positions as there are many people with administration backgrounds that could fill the positions. She noted quite a number of vacancies in space engineering, earth science, space science and space operations. Considering the number of scarce skills vacancies, she wanted to know which universities offered these degrees and if SANSA was offering scholarships to assist students in this regard. It is her view that exposing students to scarce skills degrees would create a pool of young South Africans that could fill these vacancies. She enquired about the number of skilled employees who had left the organisation, what the strategy was to retain employees and the reasons for the loss of skilled employees at SANSA. She sought clarity on the challenge in terms of organisational culture that was hampering progress. She wanted to know if SANSA was pursuing alternative means of funding in addition to the Parliamentary Grant and if the decrease in government funding was affecting the goals and objectives of the organisation.

Ms Marchesi was concerned that women in science were particularly negatively impacted by budget cuts. She asked how ASSAf was planning to retain women scientists. She requested ASSAf to elaborate on its role in the South African Academy of Engineering. She sought clarity on the qualifications for ASSAf membership. ASSAf reported that the second Institutional Review for the period 2015 to 2020 was in progress. She wanted to know at what stage of completion the review was and which factors were causing the delay in publishing the review. She questioned why the Strategic Plan was being drafted while the Institutional Review had not been finalised. She asked what mitigating plans were being considered for the waning ASSAf membership.

The Chairperson asked how SANSA was planning to mitigate the weakness relating to organisational culture that was hampering performance. Concerns about governance needed to be dealt with as soon as it was identified. She asked what support SANSA was receiving from the Presidential Infrastructure Committee. She called for consistency in the reporting on matters of climate change in light of the divergent views about the recent floods in the KZN, Eastern Cape and North West provinces. She asked if SANSA needed support from the Committee or the Department to increase the capacity of the entity to be able to play an influential role in response to the climate change challenge. She proposed that a session be arranged with SANSA to unpack the key findings of the Institutional Review. She wanted to know if SANSA was collaborating with other stakeholders to bring the recommendations of the Institutional Review to life.

The Chairperson enquired about the learning pathways that SACNASP was developing to help unemployed graduates. Research by SACNASP should be shared with the government and other stakeholders so that the implementation of the findings could impact the daily lives of citizens. She asked what SACNASP’s contribution to education was, relative to global institutions. She was concerned about the deserted spaces at campuses, for example, the abandoned space at the University of Zululand which had previously been used for research investigations. She asked how SACNASP could guide institutions to resuscitate deserted spaces. She enquired about the relationship between natural science and indigenous knowledge in relation to traditional medicine. She asked if research was being done on indigenous knowledge. The Chairperson asked when ASSAf’s second Institutional Review would be completed and what the timeframe was for tabling the amendment of the ASSAf Act, No. 67 of 2001 in Parliament.

The Chairperson requested clarification on the skill shortages and the vacancies in the CEO positions at the entities. She called on representatives of the three entities to respond to the questions and comments from Members.

Ms Mlisa said additional funding had to be sourced from the start as the fiscal allocation had not matched the mandate of SANSA since its inception. The various sources that the entity was able to tap in, included the DSI which was providing additional funding for special projects such as the Regional Space Weather Centre. Support from the NRF and European research foundations reduced the challenge of sourcing additional funds. In addition, the entity had private clients as some of its products were geared towards the international private sector market. The international market provided a constant income stream but it shrank during the Covid-19 pandemic. The entity was hoping that services to the international community such as the tracking of satellites would start picking up. SANSA was exploring the idea of applying the user-pay option when servicing government departments. National Treasury was promoting and encouraging entities to charge government departments for services. Some of the departments started paying for the services provided by SANSA. It presented a challenge and would require ongoing engagement as government departments previously received services at no cost. For example, over the past three years, engagement with the Aviation Sector had been ongoing to prepare the sector for the new requirement of paying for services. The support from the DSI was needed to put regulations in place in terms of a service pricing model and a cost recovery mechanism to enforce the payment requirement.

Ms Mlisa explained that the Presidency initiated a symposium on sustainable infrastructure development two years ago. The challenge was that infrastructure funds in the country focussed on the capital expenditure aspect of the funds which meant that the operational budget mechanism was lacking. SANSA was engaging with the appropriate stakeholders on closing the gap between capital and operational expenditure mechanisms. Space infrastructure is a long-term and costly project but it renders long-term benefits. The impact of the Space Infrastructure Hub (SIH) was twofold; the support for the achievement of the work of SANSA in terms of the human capital development programme and; the alignment of the strategic process to ensure that the Space Programme was responding and implementing the project. SANSA was engaging stakeholders to prepare the industry for the pipeline of job creation once the R3 billion investment once is secured.

Ms Mlisa appreciated the level of thought that Members put into the climate change questions concerning the readiness of SANSA and strategies to mitigate natural hazards. She confirmed that SANSA had detection instruments in place to identify the potential of an event occurring. However, integration with other stakeholders in some spaces proved to be challenging. The early warning systems for floods and droughts take a long time before it becomes visible. The National Disaster Centre was a major partner in terms of response. The first intervention in KZN was to call on the International Disaster Charter to trigger a response. The charter is set up by international space agencies. When triggered, all the satellites get activated to capture imagery of affected areas. The images show the extent of the damage caused by a disaster to enable response units to make decisions on the allocation of resources to prioritise the economic recovery of affected areas. SANSA partners with the National Disaster Management Response teams which contact their own networks on a municipal level. During this period, the DSI called on all entities to contribute to the response mechanism.

Dr Lee-Anne McKinnel, Managing Director Space Science, SANSA, explained that space weather was not responsible for climate change but could contribute to the problem of climate change. The key impact is how space weather creates vulnerabilities and risks to technological systems. This had internationally been declared a global challenge at the same level as climate change. Technological systems could not prevent climate change but it could assist in understanding and forecasting what could happen. Lessons could also be learnt from previous events. The communication system is one of the main aspects of a natural disaster as it is subjected to vulnerabilities created by space weather. In terms of response to disasters, SANSA is able to do communications planning to communicate and assist communities affected by a disaster. Flooding, excessive winds and tsunamis were all part of terrestrial weather but currently, there was no link with space weather. The Space Weather Centre was providing early warning systems to indicate how space weather could affect any technological system such as satellite TV and satellite navigation technologies. SANSA was developing programmes which should be released in October 2022.

Dr McKinnel said the entity participated in every level of the skills development pipeline. SANSA has a vibrant engaging programme, a science centre and a mobile laboratory which it uses to promote excitement for science technology and innovation. More than 30 000 learners were reached in 2020/21 across the country in different districts to create awareness of degrees in science and engineering. SANSA was not providing bursaries for undergraduate students at this stage but it was providing support for laboratories, e.g. at Fort Hare. The entity has tri-lateral arrangements with Germany and the United States of America with the Space Weather Camp to expose students to careers in space weather. Every year at least eight students across the country get selected to participate in the Space Weather Camp to gain knowledge about space weather on an international level. This year, with the help of the NRF, the number of participating students increased to 17. SANSA was working with the space industry for professional development opportunities for engineering graduates. SANSA has a vibrant postgraduate development programme, working with universities to provide bursaries for students who study degrees in the space agency field and computer science. In 2021/22, SANSA was able to fund 50 postgraduate students and was able to increase it to 70 in 2022 with the help of the Department. The Research Chair, who is dedicated to solar physics, went on a roadshow to inform students of solar physics and space weather and how students could get involved in the space agency. The roadshow was aimed at creating awareness of scarce skills across the country. The Operational Space Weather Services Project provides opportunities to young graduates. Training in space weather forecasting had been provided to five unemployed graduates and two more graduates would be appointed in the next two months. She emphasised that the head at the Space Weather Centre was a woman and six of seven forecasters in training were women. A number of opportunities for young graduates would be provided with opportunities to get involved in the space agency.  

Ms Vuyo Ntshoko, Acting Director Enterprise Services, SANSA, said the vacancies were related to a number of dynamics of the projects of the organisation. Some projects were dependent on securing funding. Administration vacancies were due to resignations. In addition, the structure provided for future skills needs of the organisation and the alignment of skills to keep track on a project level. Vacancies at the executive level were being prioritised. Arrangements were in place to ensure the continuation of business while the filling of executive-level vacancies was being finalised. In response to the loss of skills, she explained that ten people left in the fourth quarter. Three were resignations while the remaining seven were due to the termination of contract-based or programme-related posts. A number of interventions were ongoing to retain skills. A skills audit was being conducted to identify gaps for upskilling and reskilling. A talent management framework was in place to maximise the use of existing skills and attract new talent. A number of steps had been taken in setting up the organisational culture. A change management initiative, driven by the organisational culture aspect, had been introduced to entrench the correct set of values and assist the organisation in achieving high performance levels

Ms Mlisa said the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies and the DSI and its entities were in a workshop to review the strategic communication strategy. It would be game-changing for the country if the strategy could be successfully developed and financing was secured. Telecommunication was the biggest expenditure for space applications. The impact of having telecommunication capabilities as a national strength, would be significant. The challenge with the refurbishment of the Houwteq facility at Denel, wat that it was not under DSI ownership. The Minister was assisting to find a resolution to obtain ownership as Denel had no intention to continue with space level activities. Engagements were ongoing to gain access to the facility and archives to allow the industry to continue with the activities such as testing space components which could be exported to the international market. The facility is a strategic space facility and an investment for the country to participate in the global market. It would be beneficial for the industry to have ownership of the facility. She explained that the unaudited numbers in terms of performance were the actual achievements of the organisation. SANSA achieved 95% of the annual performance targets in 2021/22. It appeared that the numbers for 2022/23 had dropped but the numbers needed to be placed in context. 2021/22 year was an exceptionally good year but the environment of the previous year was not guaranteed in terms of performance for the following year.

She informed Members that SANSA had been providing products and services on a monthly basis to a large number of entities such as ESKOM for mapping access to electricity, the Department of Human Settlements for tracking build programmes and to the Department of Water and Sanitation and Water Boards to monitor the water levels in the country. In addition, SANSA was contributing to drought monitoring platforms. Expansion of the portfolio was being done to strengthen the monitoring of the build infrastructure environment because the government was investing in large infrastructure build projects. But ecological and agricultural-related services would not be neglected. Partnerships vary, for example, the DSI and SANSA were leveraging each other’s technical capabilities. SANSA was tapping into NRF capabilities for publications and for its administration capabilities to manage grant funding initiatives. SANSA has long-standing international partnerships with NASA in terms of the Deep Space programme which would be extended from ten to thirty years depending on the funding being sourced.

Ms Zwane noted two actions required by the Department, i.e. to draft a report noting all the challenges and mitigating strategies for the challenges and to arrange a special session with the Committee on the outcomes of the Institutional Review.

Prof Burton remarked that reports on deep insight investigations vary from articles to the production of booklets and books, and the issuing of statements. ASSAf aims to impact through the dissemination of information via the media including social media, holding a range of discussions and webinars and collaborating with partners. An increasing number of attendees were noted in the virtual sessions. The broad membership of the organisation allowed for the provision of useful information by experts. A PhD qualification was not a requirement for membership however, members must be established scientists, recognised by peers for the excellence of their work in the academic sense. Members were required to use their knowledge to improve the lives of society.

Prof Soodyall said that the organisation was working with the DBE on the representation of Life Sciences, for example, the drafting of the Covid-19 booklet. In terms of a memorandum of understanding, the organisation was contributing to curriculum development to align some of its products, e.g. covering related topics in the Quest Magazine. The relationship with the Department of Higher Education and Training is demonstrated through the publication of scholarly journals, e.g. the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) SA. ASSAf would like to extend its activities to other government departments. She explained that the Women in Science for the Developing World is a separate organisation for which ASSAf provided secretariat services up to February 2021 until it became a challenge due to budget cuts. R800 000 had been made available to assist the organisation.

Mrs Lynette du Plessis, Human Resource Manager, ASSAf, stated that the termination of the hosting agreement resulted in five terminations. The staff turnover seemed to be high due to the low staff numbers. The staff complement consisted of 30 members and only two staff members resigned during the year. The organisation prioritised and supported postgraduate students through a bursary scheme with a work-back period as a condition. In the past year, two of the students obtained PhD qualifications.

Prof Soodyall said the DSI was funding the Engineering Academy which was being hosted by ASSAf. She was optimistic about better engagement in activities rather than just hosting and reporting the presentation of the academy. Engagements in this regard were ongoing. From the face-to-face discussions, strengths in the engineering sector were identified that the engineering academy wanted to pursue. She explained that becoming an ASSAf member was a stringent process and based on an election and not selection. Members are nominated by peers based on academic excellence. A process of evaluation is performed and those who meet the criteria get inducted through a ballot. The 11 resignations in 2021/22, were attributed to members who retired from academia and some members who had emigrated. A decision was taken at the last council meeting to advance emeritus status to members over 70 years within the academy. ASSAf reported 18 deaths between 2019 and January 2022. Fluctuation in membership numbers was due to resignations and deaths.

Ms Renate Venier, National Liaison Officer, ASSAf, stated the planned date for the final draft of the Institutional Review was 31 July 2022 to coincide with the submission of the 2021/22 annual report. An independent review panel was conducting interviews with 21 stakeholders. The interview process would be finalised by 20 May 2022, thereafter the report would be written by an external writer.

Prof Soodyall said the strategic plan was forward-looking. The current cycle was in its fourth year. She was being proactive in hosting workshops with staff and ASSAf members during the course of next year that would be done in parallel with the Institutional Review to compile a robust analysis of existing plans. A consortium spearheaded by CSIR was assisting in harnessing the collective thoughts of all academies on how the best performance of entities affiliated with the DSI could be evaluated and monitored. She said many institutions and entities across the national grid were focussing on various components of the indigenous knowledge system. She was particularly intrigued by the many cultural differences which she observed during the last two years of the Covid-19 pandemic as it related to rituals, e.g. the burial ritual against legal restrictions that were imposed. A 2021 webinar on faith-based responses to the pandemic revealed how little we understood each other’s culture. It was important to fill some of the gaps in knowledge about each other in order to contribute towards social cohesion. She was planning to invite various stakeholders for a collective meeting to utilise limited resources for better outcomes.

The Chairperson invited representatives of SACNASP to respond. She reminded Members to remain on the platform for the adoption of the Committee Report on the engagements with the Department of Higher Education and Training and the strategic plans and budgets of the various entities in preparation for budget votes.

Prof Nephawe said he was not aware of any studies done on the level of global competitiveness on the programmes of global institutions. Universities were globally rated using different matrixes, mostly based on research outcomes and not on programmes or employability of graduates. Comparativeness on a national level was being evaluated based on exit level outcomes. The employability of graduates depended on their attributes and capabilities. The organisation had a few programmes to evaluate students. A pilot programme at the university at Limpopo was at the inception stage. A detailed written response to the question on learning pathways for natural scientists would be provided to the Committee. On a high level, more than 70% of natural scientists were employed and a good proportion of them were job creators. The pathways were effective in ensuring job creation for natural scientist. Factors influencing employment of natural scientists included race, gender, field of study, institution of study and social networks. Private employers tend to be biased against graduates from historically disadvantaged institutions. A recommendation of the report on learning pathways was that government needed to support the creation of natural science jobs. Another important aspect of the report was the revision of the curriculum for training of natural scientists. Initiatives identified to address institutional variances whereby historically disadvantaged institutions suffered from negative perceptions by employers included skills planning and the development of an entrepreneurial rather than a job-seeker approach. SACNASP would also provide a written report and action plans in terms of the Institutional Review which was a requirement for all DSI entities who undergo a similar review process. 

Ms van Aardt said the organisation had been invited to a Research and Development (R&D) roundtable to analyse the outcomes of the report on learning pathways. The information from the R&D meeting would be incorporated into a cabinet memo. A webinar on indigenous knowledge systems was planned for July 2022. People with skills in this sector would be invited as moderators and speakers at the event.

Dr Matshidiso Matabane, Information Officer, SACNASP, said the organisation was hosting various science engagement projects and initiatives to advance the understanding of the role of natural scientists such as contributing towards the District Development Model. SACNASP promotes ethical and professional conduct of natural science professionals. A successful webinar on climate change strategies was hosted in light of the recent KZN disasters. SACNASP had been involved in DSI initiatives such as the Natural Science Week through webinars and visits to high schools to engage with learners. A 4iR documentary was recently developed. The targeted audience for SACNASP initiatives included government departments and institutions of higher learning. SACNASP is affiliated with a strong network of voluntary associations. Student involvement programmes included initiatives to create awareness of registration across all the higher learning institutions with the intention to build a pipeline for the next generation of natural science professionals. To assist natural science students, SACNASP introduced soft skill interventions. Webinars were hosted on 2021 on emotional intelligence, business environment skills and ethics for early career scientists. SACNASP was in the process of rolling out a candidate mentee programme with the support of voluntary associations. An ethics awareness training programme was scheduled for May 2022 and a science communication workshop was being planned. All these interventions formed part of the programme to benefit young scientists.

Ms Jessica Grobler, Registrations Manager, SACNASP, said the demographics on the overall database by race vary from 59% black, 32% white, 7% Asian and 2% Coloured. For early career scientists, the membership was 80% black and lower percentages for all other race groups. In terms of gender, the database reflected 55% male and 45% female membership which changed from 57% male and 43% female in the previous year. Gender distribution was slowly shifting as more female registrations were taking place. The biggest challenge around retention was the non-payment of fees despite having made several accommodations during the pandemic members were experiencing difficulties with income. Other factors that were contributing to the retention problem were retirement and death in smaller numbers but a fairly significant number due to emigration.

Prof Nephawe confirmed the three areas to which written responses would be provided, i.e. the report on learning pathways, feedback on indigenous knowledge systems, and detail on risk mitigation strategies.

The Chairperson asked if the financial contribution required by students was not becoming a barrier to register for SACNASP membership for newly graduated students. She wanted to know if the financial contribution had been benchmarked against fees charged by other councils.

Prof Nephawe said in terms of benchmarking, SACNASP had the lowest fee compared to the legal, medical and engineering councils. The organisation was willing to discuss a zero-rated fee for recently graduated students with the DSI.

Ms Marchesi said she was struggling to understand the purpose and existence of SACNASP. Many people who studied Natural Science were not informed about the requirement to register with SACNASP, similar to registration required in respect of the nursing or engineering council which comes with a level of accountability. She did not know about the existence of SACNASP when she first started working and there was no requirement from the employer to be registered in order to get the job.

Prof Nephawe replied that registration was required in terms of the Natural Sciences Act, No.55 of 1982. The Act serves the same purpose as for other councils. The perception that it was risky for a medical doctor but not for a natural scientist to have council membership, was incorrect. Unprofessional conduct by a natural scientist, e.g. in chemistry could impact more lives than in the case of a medical doctor where only one life is affected. He admitted that SACNASP had not been visible in the past but progress had been made in the last few years. Campaigns are being held to promote the requirement for registration. Membership numbers increased from 5 000 at inception to the current 14 000 members. It would not have been possible to report on the many cases of unprofessional conduct without the existence of the Act.

Ms Zwane invited her colleagues of the Department to contribute to the discussion.

Mr Humbulani Mudau, Chief Director: Space Science and Technology, DSI, welcomed the useful input from Members. He took note of all issues of concern. The Department would assist in providing written responses and would clarify the role of DSI with regard to the oversight function and providing strategic direction. The message from the discussion was to work harder to prepare for future challenges. He thanked the Acting CEOs and Chairperson of the Board for their efforts.

Dr Sibusiso Manzini, Chief Director: Research Development and Support, DSI, noted the interest and serious questions about the three presentations from Members. When ready, the Department would return to Parliament with feedback on the SACNASP Bill.

Ms Zwane said the SACNASP Bill was in the process of being submitted to the economic cluster. Exact timelines could not be provided at this stage. She thanked all three entities for working together with the Department in compiling the APPs.

The Chairperson thanked all Chairpersons and Executive Council members for the work done on the APPs. The Committee remained consistent that transformation for scientists was non-negotiable. She implored the sector to ensure inclusivity when vacancies are filled. The Department should intentionally pursue transformation in this sector and plan appropriately despite financial constraints. There were a number of matters that Members could learn from the engagement. She was keen on seeing scientists making a direct impact on the issue of social development in the country. The Committee was available to provide support with the execution of the plans and targets of the entities.

Higher Education and Training Budget: Committee Report

The Chairperson said the ANC made submissions in terms of the party’s analysis of the 60 page report on the APP and Strategic Plan and Budget of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Ms Marchesi confirmed that the DA had no further contributions to make to the report.

Ms Mananiso moved for the adoption of the report as a true reflection of the deliberations of the Committee. She acknowledged the work done by the support staff in compiling the report.

Mr W Letsie (ANC) joined Ms Mananiso in acknowledging the team from Parliament for writing the comprehensive report. He noted that submissions for corrections had been made and seconded the adoption of the report.

The report was adopted.

The Chairperson echoed the sentiments of her colleagues and expressed appreciation for the support from the Committee Secretariat, Content Advisors, Researchers and all other support staff members. The Committee would continue doing oversight to ensure the lived realities of citizens are improved.

The meeting was adjourned.

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