Hansard: Debate on Vote 34: Science and Technology (OAC)
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 15 May 2013
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UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 352
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,2
7 May 2013,"Take 352 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,16 May 2013,"[Take-352] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][ml].doc"
THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2013
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
_____________________________
The House met at 14:02.
House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 352
Start of day
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 34 – Science and Technology:
The MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Hon Chairperson, hon members and ladies and gentlemen, science and technology are really the first things one thinks of when one talks about our major challenges as a nation, and few people fully appreciate the toil and investment that goes into the generation of knowledge, discovery and inventions.
The National Development Plan, however, identifies the important role of science, technology and innovation in achieving our country's longer-term objectives. As many of you will recall, Minister Pandor appointed a high-level committee to conduct a comprehensive review of South Africa's National System of Innovation, Sansi. The committee's report, which was released last year, makes a number of useful recommendations, including that the Department of Science and Technology should strengthen its links with the private sector. I am pleased to report that we are making good progress in implementing a number of these recommendations;
Firstly, the department has secured R500 million over the next three years from the Economic Competitiveness Fund to strengthen innovation and research partnerships with industry;
Secondly, an international expert committee has been appointed to develop a framework for a national integrated cyber infrastructure system;
Thirdly, we are convening the first multistakeholder science, technology and innovation summit in July this year to strengthen co-ordination between government and the private sector; and [Applause.]
Finally, also arising out of the committee's recommendations, all under Minister Pandor's leadership, I appointed a panel to conduct a review of the Technology Innovation Agency, TIA, earlier this year. The panel has completed its work and their report was presented to the newly appointed TIA board yesterday.
The total appropriation to the Department of Science and Technology for 2013-14 is R6,2 billion. About 92% goes to our science councils and agencies, and to other research institutions, including universities, which the department supports in various ways. The reason for this is simple: Our main mandate is to fund and direct research and human capital development in a strategic and co-ordinated manner.
The Department of Science and Technology has four main programmes. These programmes represent distinct but complementary ways of promoting Sansi and harnessing science and technology to benefit all South Africans. The Research, Development and Innovation programme is at the heart of our efforts to drive innovation in strategic areas. This programme focuses on space science, biotechnology, health innovation and energy.
The announcement, made a year ago, that our country, together with eight other African partner countries, is to host the greatest portion of the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, radio telescope, was a massive acknowledgement of the capabilities of our scientists and engineers, and the advances our country has made in science and technology. The SKA will be one of the biggest scientific projects the world has ever undertaken. [Applause.]
This year marks the start of the detailed design and preconstruction phase of the SKA project. The construction of the 64-dish MeerKAT has commenced, and will be completed by 2016. On its own, the MeerKAT will be the largest radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The SKA, when it is completed, will, with 3 000 dishes, be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the world by far. [Applause.] We have been given almost R2 billion for the SKA project over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period and, since this is a global project, this investment will leverage significant international resources.
World-class science is already emanating from our KAT-7 precursor instrument. Local and international astronomers have used the instrument to observe repeating radio outbursts from a neutron star system known as Circinus X-1. Their results have just been accepted this week for publication in a prestigious journal of the Royal Astronomy Society. A global media release on this ground-breaking science coming out of South Africa has just been issued.
Maybe there is life out there, somewhere on another planet. We just don't know. However, what we do know is that the SKA will be able to pick up even the faintest of extraterrestrial signals, and cast light on some of the mysteries of the universe. It therefore came as no surprise to us when the Director of SA's SKA Project, Dr Bernie Fanaroff, was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe for his excellent contributions to astronomy and for putting South Africa on the map with the SKA project. He is here with us today in the gallery. [Applause.]
Through the SA National Space Agency, we are further developing the country's capacity to design, build, maintain and possibly even launch satellites. As part of the four-country African Resource Management Constellation, South Africa has begun work on the first satellite. An amount of R272 million has been budgeted this year for this important project. This satellite will greatly enhance Africa's ability to monitor and manage its precious natural resources. A business rescue plan for the company Sunspace has been put in place, and the process of transferring the very rich capabilities and intellectual property into our satellite program is continuing.
Turning to the work we are doing in energy, there are some exciting developments to report on. Hydrogen SA, Hysa, centres of competence, include the Centre for Catalysis Research at the University of Cape Town, the Infrastructure Centre at the University of North West and the Systems Centre of Competence at the University of the Western Cape, UWC. In February this year, the UWC centre, together with a local company, Melex Electrovehicles, unveiled the first hydrogen fuel cell battery-operated golf cart developed on South African soil. The range of the golf cart is almost doubled by the use of a hydrogen fuel cell. It is pollution free, virtually silent and can reach a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. [Applause.] Those golfers out there should be very happy about this.
I am also very happy to report that the memorandum of understanding, MoU, on the joint development of hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle platforms and technologies, has been signed between the UWC, Coventry University and Microcab Industries Limited. The MoU will see Microcab using Hysa technologies with the prospect of Hysa becoming a major supplier to Microcab.
It is worth noting that even a modest increase in the global penetration of fuel cell-powered vehicles, will result in a significant increase in the demand for platinum, and will contribute to our target of meeting 25% of global catalyst demand by 2020. Our nation holds almost three-quarters of the world's known resources of platinum, so this will be a very significant development.
There are also huge opportunities in solar energy within our country. The Department of Science and Technology, working closely with the Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency, will finalise the Solar Energy Technology Road Map this year. The value of both solar and wind energy still needs to be unlocked though, through more efficient and affordable energy-storage technologies. Our main focus at this stage is on lithium-ion battery technologies. Some of the novel battery systems we are developing are based on manganese and, given that South Africa has 80% of the world's manganese reserves, this also represents a significant beneficiation opportunity. [Applause.]
By 2015, more than 2,5 million HIV-infected South Africans will need antiretroviral treatment, and it is therefore essential that we have a secure and affordable supply of antiretrovirals, ARVs. Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the Ketlaphela consortium, which was established as a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation and Pelchem. The consortium will now proceed with an open process to secure a technical and investment partner for the construction and operation of a facility for the local manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients for ARVs, as well as formulated tablets for government's ARV-treatment programme. We will soon issue a request for information to start the process of finding such a partner. With pharmaceutical imports currently contributing substantially to our trade deficit, this mainly state-owned pharmaceutical company will be immensely important to the objectives of government's New Growth Path.
Local researchers and scientists in the area of health innovation are increasingly receiving recognition for their contributions, especially in respect of tuberculosis, TB, and HIV/Aids related research. Two outstanding scientists received the Order of Mapungubwe at the National Orders ceremony last month: Prof Glenda Gray ... [Applause.] ... who is going to stand up for you now. ... for her life-saving research into mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. ... There she is in the gallery ... [Applause.] ... and Prof Quarraisha Karim, for her work in the field of HIV/Aids and TB research. Unfortunately, Prof Karim is not here but her husband, Dr Slim Karim, is here with us today. [Applause.] He walks in his wife's shadow. [Laughter.] However, let me tell you, they are a formidable partnership.
Last month the University of Cape Town's Prof Valerie Mizrahi won the Grand Prix Christophe Mérieux prize for her TB research. We will hear more about Prof Mizrahi's research this evening when she makes a presentation during dinner.
I am pleased to report that our Bioeconomy Strategy has been finalised and will soon be presented to Cabinet for approval. We have built capacity, which Minister Pandor is very happy about as she knows how we agonised about this one. We have built capacity and infrastructure, and have developed value chains in the application of biotechnology to a range of areas; new diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, improved crops and livestock, and cleaner and more efficient industries. The strategy will assist us in creating a world-class biotechnology-based system of innovation. Over the MTEF period, more than R400 million has been budgeted for the implementation of the strategy.
Towards the end of last year, TIA, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council, the National Research Foundation, NRF, the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort Biological Products and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, launched the Tshwane Animal Health Cluster. This initiative will enable the local animal health industry to develop and commercialise safe, effective and affordable animal health products and services for the benefit of our local livestock industry. The Tshwane Animal Health Cluster is currently funding a portfolio of no less than 29 investments in various animal diseases.
Our International Co-operation and Resources programme, has been allocated R148 million for the year ahead. The primary purpose of this programme is to promote the exchange of knowledge, capacity and resources with foreign partners. The Department of Science and Technology has formal bilateral and multilateral arrangements with 62 different partners, encompassing country-to-country agreements, as well as science and technology agreements with international multilateral bodies.
To mention just a few highlights, last year, in partnership with the European Union, we cohosted a planning conference for the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. The conference set the tone for a new, larger phase of clinical trials to begin in 2014. This, we believe, will also help channel resources from partners to build human capacity and health research infrastructure in Africa.
Early last year, the German-South African Year of Science was launched to celebrate 16 years of successful co-operation between our two countries. Forty-one new collaborative initiatives were funded during the Year of Science, including a schools essay competition. Three of the winners announced at the closing ceremony in Berlin, last month, are with us today. They are, and I hope they are going to stand up so that we can all see them, Thandeka Nzimande – no relationship to Blade – from Litsibogo Girls High in Gauteng, ... [Applause.] ... Zandile Mashabane from Mahhushe Agricultural High School in Mpumalanga ... [Applause.] ... and Mukundi Mushiana from Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo. [Applause.]
Our successful partnership with the government of Finland continues to strengthen our innovation capacity. One of the partnership's success stories is RLabs, a community project established in 2008 by Marlon Parker, whose dream was to find a way of using information and communication technology, ICT, to bring hope to young people. Through the Department of Science and Technology's initial investment, RLabs established an academy and outreach programmes that have now reached thousands of youngsters in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, providing free training in web literacy, social innovation and entrepreneurship. More than 1 500 community members will receive training at the RLabs Academy this year. Marlon is with us today. I am sure he will be available to tell you more about this great success story. Marlon, we are very proud of you. Thank you. [Applause.]
Of course, there are a lot of other young people here today. We have some Grade 10 learners from the Garlandale High School, and we have some Grade 12 learners from the Hector Pieterson Secondary School. [Applause.] There they are, and you can see the young Einstein sitting amongst them over there. [Applause.]
This same international programme also provides support to the Africa Institute of South Africa, Aisa. Aisa has generated valuable information and knowledge about Africa on key areas of development, such as governance and security, sustainable development and science, technology and innovation.
Draft legislation providing for the incorporation of Aisa into the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC, is currently with the portfolio committee. Members of the committee will be pleased to know that I met with the council members last week, to discuss some of the key considerations that need to be applied in the process of incorporating Aisa into the HSRC. The council has done sterling work in reviving the institution and their hard work is well appreciated.
Science and technology is advanced by people – by our scientists, our technicians, our engineers and our computer programmers. Yet, do we have enough scientists and do they have resources to do their jobs to the best of their ability? That is what the Human Capital and Knowledge Systems programme is about, and it is by far the largest of our programmes, accounting for about R2,5 billion of our budget.
The success of our efforts to develop science, engineering and technology human resources depends largely on having sufficient numbers of school leavers with passes in mathematics and science. This means that we have to encourage more learners to choose mathematics and science when they enter Grade 10 and then attract the best performers to science-based careers.
Our 34 science centres play a critical role in popularising maths and science. Although they get support from our Youth into Science programme, they do depend on support from the private sector. In the past two months, we have launched two science centres; the Cape Town Science Centre which was supported by a number of organisations, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre, which was sponsored by Volkswagen SA. We are pleased to announce today that BMW SA is generously donating educational cars to five science centres across the country. Tomorrow, the Cape Town Science Centre ... [Applause.] ... will be the first to receive one of these cars.
Allow me to express my appreciation to Mr Guy Kilfoil from BMW SA, who is also with us today. [Applause.] Can you please stand up, Sir? Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The SA Young Academy of Science, Sayas, was established in 2011 with the aim of encouraging learners to take science as a subject. Sayas hosted the Global Young Academy General Assembly in May last year, which brought young scientists from more than 50 countries together to deliberate on sustainability. Sayas represents the best of our new generation of highly talented young scientists.
We have a number of instruments that are designed to strengthen research capacity at our universities, including the research chairs and centres of excellence programmes, both managed by the NRF. The SA Research Chairs Initiative is steadily gaining traction, with an additional 35 chairs to be filled this year, bringing the total to 152 research chairs, covering a wide spectrum of disciplines.
Last month, we launched our ninth centre of excellence, the Palaeosciences Centre of Excellence at the University of Witwatersrand, Wits. It will build on the remarkable work done by Wits palaeoscientists over many decades, and will showcase South Africa's wealth of fossil evidence of the earliest life on earth and, in particular, the extraordinary discoveries of our early human ancestry at the Cradle of Humankind. The centre will collaborate with a number of institutions across the country, including the Iziko Museum, where the Department of Science and Technology is holding its exhibition today and tomorrow. The NRF has made a call for proposals for four additional centres of excellence, and the selection process will take place during the course of the year.
We continue to look for different ways of supporting the research community, especially in trying to make research a more attractive career choice. The Department of Science and Technology has increased its investments over the 2013 MTEF in programmes such as once-off research development grants for qualifying young, black and women researchers, to assist them to become established researchers; research career advancement fellowships offered to senior postdoctoral fellows; and sabbatical grants awarded to fast-track the completion of doctoral degrees by academic staff at universities. Don't say it, but I will, cheers! Thank you. [Laughter.]
Hon Mnyami Booi, one of our key partners in human capital development is the Department of Higher Education and Training. An agreement has been reached that higher education will be responsible for ensuring the provision of basic research training equipment in universities, while the Department of Science and Technology will fund specialised research equipment.
Competitive high-quality research is simply not possible today, without adequate research infrastructure. A total of 139 research and educational sites have now been connected with high-speed networks through the SA National Research Network, Sanren. This has virtually eliminated the digital divide between urban and remotely located institutions. Through Sanren, rural universities are just as able to participate in global experiments as urban universities.
Furthermore, Sanren opens up new possibilities in the way teaching and research is conducted, with the high-speed transport of large datasets, participation in global experiments regardless of physical location, and collaborative online teaching. The investments in Sanren have reduced Internet costs for participating institutions by a factor of more than 10. The Department of Science and Technology will invest about R600 million in the next five years, to more than double the international bandwidth of Sanren.
In the area of information dissemination, the Academy of Science of South Africa, Assaf, has established a high-quality and prestigious open-access journal collection, aimed at serving the Scientific Electronic Library Online, Scielo. It will promote South African research by enhancing its visibility and making it easier to access. Assaf's budget has been increased by 40% to allow it to play a stronger role in support of research in South Africa.
Next week, we will be launching the National Recordal System, NRS, for indigenous knowledge, and the Indigenous Knowledge, IK, Bioprospecting and Product Development Consortium the following month. ... I did not discover or invent these long names. ... Together, these interventions will considerably strengthen our ability to, very importantly, utilise indigenous knowledge as an input into the development of useful products and services. The NRS is the first ever Internet-based national digital system to document indigenous knowledge. ... When we start talking about indigenous knowledge, hon members start falling asleep. [Laughter.] ... We must really showcase ... [Interjections.] ... indigenous knowledge. ... Thank you, Lance ... We have invested R22 million in the further development of this system.
Let me turn to our socioeconomic-partnerships programme which has been allocated R1,7 billion, 60% of which goes to our main implementation partners, the HSRC and the CSIR. This programme has two distinct purposes;
Firstly, to apply science and technology to improve the circumstances of the most deprived and vulnerable in our society and;
Secondly, to develop research and development partnerships that target opportunities for establishing niche industries and, in so doing, increase the competitiveness of our economy.
One of the key growth sectors is ICT. I am pleased to report that just two weeks ago, Cabinet approved a 10-year ICT research, development and innovation road map, which will assist South Africa to take maximum advantage of the digital revolution.
The Titanium Industry Development Initiative is making impressive progress. More that R75 million will be invested over the next two years through the Titanium Centre of Competence, hosted by the CSIR. A key activity is the development of a novel low-cost process for the production of titanium metal powder, which will provide South Africa with a global competitive advantage. A pilot plant, with the capacity to produce two kilograms of titanium powder per hour using this novel process, is currently under construction at the CSIR campus in Pretoria. It will be officially launched next month.
Through donor funding of €30 million from the European Union, the department has been implementing a number of initiatives that use science and technology to make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation, such as in essential oils and aquaculture, and improved human settlement models. Our main objective is to capture the lessons from these initiatives for consideration and implementation by other government departments. An excellent example of a Department of Science and Technology initiative involving successful intergovernmental collaboration is our pilot education project in the Cofimvaba District of the Eastern Cape. Through this initiative, we are exploring innovative ways to improve the quality of learning and teaching in rural schools. The initiative involves 26 schools in the Nciba District and is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education and the Eastern Cape Department of Education. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has contributed R22 million to the pilot project.
The pilot project will examine how the use of tablet computers can best improve educational outcomes in a rural context, and will help us determine which tablets work best, how to deal with important operational challenges such as the recharging of tablets at schools without electricity, and how best to support learners, teachers and parents in the use of new technologies. As a start, over the next three months, 3 000 tablets will be distributed to learners and teachers in 12 schools. [Applause.] It is just a start as our ultimate objective would be that every learner in the country will make use of tablets. Our ultimate objective would be to go in that direction. [Applause.] The support has come from the CSIR's Meraka Institute. All 26 schools in the district will be connected to the Internet via satellite and wireless mesh-network technology.
The pilot project is of course not limited to ICT, but it will also test different sanitation options, alternative forms of energy and models for improving the school nutrition programme. The HSRC has been contracted to monitor and evaluate aspects of the project and to assist in extracting the policy lessons for the possible scaling up of some aspects to other districts and provinces.
At this point I should say that both the CSIR and the HSRC are doing impressive research in a wide range of specialised areas. For example, the CSIR's capabilities in the field of defence technology have grown to be of world-class standard. Working with the SA National Defence Force, SANDF, the CSIR has contributed a number of interventions to optimise technologies used by our patrol teams, both on land and at sea. Readily available tools such as smartphones, geographic information system, GIS, applications, and radio and camera surveillance are integrated into these systems.
The HSRC has been appointed as the South African think-tank incubator for the Brazil, Russia India, China and South Africa, Brics, grouping, with Dr Olive Shisana at its leader, in order to co-ordinate Brics work undertaken by researchers at the HSRC and other institutions around the country. The HSRC also conducts invaluable research on attitudes and behaviour regarding HIV and Aids, maintains the long-standing SA Social Attitudes Survey and the SA National Survey of Research and Experimental Development, and performs vital work in trying to bring social scientists and policy makers together.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the many researchers – many of whom are with us today – scientists and business innovators who are the backbone of our national system of innovation, and acknowledge our many partners in government, the private sector, the science councils and agencies, with particular thanks to those who serve on the boards of our public entities.
My sincere thanks also go to our Director-General, Dr Mjwara ... the a good-looking man sitting over in that little gallery ... I saw all the women wake up when I said there was a good-looking man sitting over there. ... [Applause.] ... Thanks to the absolutely fine staff of the Department of Science and Technology that Minister Pandor will attest to, for their dedicated efforts to get science and technology to make a real, lasting difference in people's lives.
I would like to express my appreciation to the portfolio committee for their support, but also for holding us to account. We certainly welcome the oversight work they are doing. It is all in the interest of science and technology making a positive contribution to South Africa, and taking our country forward towards the realisation of our dreams and aspirations.
Finally, the people with the most difficult task of all are the people who work in my office because they have a huge management task of managing me, and believe me, that is no easy task. Thank you, staff for your outstanding work. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr E N N NGCOBO / /AZM MNGUNI // TH / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 353
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,16 May 2013,"[Take-353] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][ml].doc"
The MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Mr E N N NGCOBO: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Science and Technology, Comrade Derek Hanekom, our former Minister of Science and Technology, Comrade Naledi Pandor, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here, hon members and guests of Parliament in the gallery, his excellency the Director –General and his team, sons of the soil, flowers of the nation, people of integrity. [Applause.]
On 13 March 2013, the Director –General of the Department of Science and Technology, Dr Phil Mjwara briefed the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology on the Annual Performance Plans and budget of Department of Science and Technology. Subsequently hereto, seven entities that receive their budget allocations directly from department namely, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, Human and Science Research Council, HSRC, Africa Institute of South Africa, Aisa, Technology Innovation Agency, Tia, Academy of Science of South Africa, Assaf, National Research Foundation, NRF, and South African National Space Agency, Sansa, also followed suit to present before the Portfolio Committee their Annual Performance Plans.
The Department of Science and Technology's presentation provided an overview of the strategic context within which it operates, thereby detailing its strategic goals, key priorities and recent outputs. Furthermore to the aforementioned, the ANC-led Department of Science and Technology highlighted a selection of performance indicators and their concomitant targets and summarised the budget allocation for each of its entities for the current financial year.
At this juncture, it is important to highlight that the work of the Department of Science and Technology is mainly guided by the White Paper on science and technology which actually introduced the concept known as the National System of Innovation, NSI. NSI concept signifies an enabling framework for the development of science, technology and innovation at national level.
In seeking to transform the South African economy into a knowledge-based economy, the department has engaged two key strategies, namely the National Research and Development Strategy adopted by the Cabinet in 2002 and the Ten-Year Innovation Plan launched by the Department of Science and Technology in 2009 as Vision 2018. The department's policy framework is further informed by and aligned to broader government priorities such as the National Development Plan, NDP.
National Development Plan considers science, technology and innovation as key aspects of the South African developmental agenda. According to the NDP, science and technology are crucial to equitable growth as advances in these fields underpin the advances in the economy. The NDP has its vision focussed for our country to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030 through a variety of measures that would unleash the energies of its citizens, grow an inclusive economy from being unsustainably resource intensive to becoming knowledge-based.
This signifies a clear alignment with the department's Vision 2018 and the resolution of the 53rd ANC conference in Mangaung on science and technology. This means that five years from now the march towards 2030 will be ushered by the ANC-led Department of Science and Technology. [Applause.]
In the era of offensive and dominant global market forces, whereby biotechnology is being adapted by many countries in the world to biosolutions such as biomanufacturing, biomining, biofuel processing, bioentrepreneurship, bioinformatics, biomanagement, etc.
The ANC-led Department of Science and Technology has also decided to review its National Biotechnology Strategy, first launched in 2001 and has redefined this in terms of a bioeconomy strategy. Bioeconomy concept refers to activities that make use of bioinnovations based on biological sources, materials and processes to generate sustainable economic, social and environmental development. In the bioeconomy, the entire innovation system or network ranging from ideas, research, development, productisation and manufacturing to commercialisation should be used to its full potential in a well coordinated manner.
The new bioeconomy strategy is expected to provide an economic engine for the new knowledge-based economy which in turn will provide a basis for future growth in economy. Such science-based biosolutions can for instance be used to manufacture high value protein products such as biopharmaceuticals and vaccines; produce biofuels; produce biomining products, improve and adapt crops; reduce production costs, reduce environmental impacts; improve quality of products, etc.
The bioeconomy strategy is well-aligned to the National Development Plan's Vision of 2030, whereby it is expected that by 2030 the bioeconomy will form a significant contributor to the South African economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product, GDP, through the creation of biobased services, products and innovations, including bioentrepreneurs and intellectual property management.
A major comparative advantage for the bioeconomy is the fact that South Africa is the third most biologically diverse country in the world, with the almost 10% of the world's known plant species, 15% of all known coastal marine species. Furthermore, South Africa comprises nine unique vegetation types of which three have been declared as global biodiversity hotspots and is also the only country to contain the entire floral kingdom in the so-called Cape Floristic Region.
South Africa's natural capital of biological diversity, combined with the wealth of indigenous knowledge forms one of the country's greatest assets. In a nutshell, the bioeconomy strategy aims to build on the achievement of the National Biotechnology Strategy, incorporate lessons learnt and move forward with initiatives that can address the challenges and opportunities of the future.
In the global context, it is envisaged that global population will increase by 28% from 6,5 billion in 2005 to 8,3 billion by 2030. Ninety seven percent of population growth will occur in developing countries. Such population growth has a direct bearing on resources such as health services, essential natural resources, food, animal feed, clean water and energy.
It is for this very reason that there is a notable growing interest in the concept of bioeconomy in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, countries and even the non-OECD countries alike due to its potential for significant global economic, social and environmental benefits in an integrated framework. Whilst bioeconomy contributes less that 15 of GDP today, it is expected that by 2030 it would have risen to 2,7% of the GDP in the OEDC countries and probably considerably more in non-OEDC countries.
Expected outcome of bioeconomy development by 2018 are, globally competitive pharmaceutical industry; functional technology platforms to facilitate preclinical drug development; funded centres of competence in top five national health priorities namely, HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria, diabetes and cancer; increased foreign-direct investments health related research and development; functional technology platforms for agricultural biotechnology; strengthened animal vaccine R&D as well as production; functional biosafety platform to provide regulatory guidance and support; functional bioprospecting platform on Indigenous Knowledge Systems, IKS, such as hon Minister has mentioned, etc.
Judging from the above-mentioned outcomes, it is clear that a well developed bioeconomy strategy is very much interlinked with the development of the IKS. The IKS is the sub-programme of Department of Science and Technology which is administered by National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office, Nikso. The Nikso mandate is to interface IKS with other knowledge systems for sustainable development and improved quality of life. The sub-programme comprises three directorates, namely, advocacy and policy development, knowledge development as well as knowledge management.
The IKS policy advocates that the Centre of Excellence in IKS be established in order to interface with other knowledge systems, while generating knowledge and developing human capital. In line with bioeconomy strategy, the strategic focus of IKS Centre of Excellence is public health and traditional medicines, food security learning and teaching.
The IKS Centres of Excellence are currently hosted by the Universities of North West, Limpopo, Venda and of late Unisa and University of KwaZulu-Natal have also been added. The participating universities have succeeded in registering a bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems through South African Qualifications Authority, Saqa and subsequently Saqa also accepted the development of Bachelor of IKS to honours, masters and Phd levels.
There are three flagships of IKS of bioprospecting and product development platforms aimed at developing products, processes and services based on interfacing and mainstreaming IKS with other knowledge systems namely, african traditional medicines flagships; cosmeceuticals flagship and nutraceutical flagship.
The first flagship which is african traditional medicine flagship is focused on innovation of herbal medicines against diabetes, HIV/Aids and TB. The second flagship on cosmeceutical has conducted human trials on two skin-care products with anti-aging qualities. Some of you who are aging in their faces are going to be helped by this technology. The third flagship has developed nutraceutical products from indigenous vegetable namely cold and hot teas, pestos and dried vegetables.
In 2012-13 financial year nine leads were identified and researched for medical, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical potential. From the above coverage it is clear that the successful development of a bioeconomy strategy is indivisible with the development of a viable IKS strategy. All these strategies including the Ten-Year Innovation Plan, as guided by the National Development Plan Vision 2030, if well coordinated and implemented, are surely going to take south Africa where it wants to be in 2030.
It will be indeed only be then when the National Planning Commission can proudly lament that:
"We, the people of South Africa have journeyed far since the long lines of our first democratic election on 27 April 1994, when we elected a government for us all. Now in 2030 we live in a country which we have remade."
In conclusion, please allow me to thank the Minister of Science and Technology for the unreserved support and cooperation that our Portfolio Committee has enjoyed from his Director-General and his departmental team leading to the hosting of this debate. So, indeed the same goes also to my fellow members of the Portfolio Committee and our Portfolio Committee staff.
The ANC supports the Budget Vote 34 on Science and Technology. I thank you.
Dr J C KLOPPERS-LOURENS / Kn / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 354
Mr E N N NGCOBO
Dr J C KLOPPERS-LOURENS: Chairperson, this year, during his state of the nation address, President Zuma demonstrated total disregard for the Labour Relations Act, by giving his own explanation of the term "essential services", contrary to the legal definition thereof contained in the Act.
To put his distortion in context, I will now focus on the ministerial review report presented to the portfolio committee on 6 June, last year. It is a report on the readiness of the National System of Innovation landscape to meet the needs of our country. The review committee was commissioned to identify what would be required from the state in order to ensure an adequate and growing investment in innovation that would deliver a sustained and durable knowledge-based economy. The committee was also commissioned to make appropriate recommendations on steps necessary to strengthen the science, technology and innovation system.
Three important observations are stated in the review report: firstly, that the shortfall in human capital development is the key weakness of the National System of Innovation; secondly, that the National System of Innovation depends almost entirely on the effectiveness of the basic education and postschool systems; and
thirdly, that most of the requirements for making the public education and training system work, as the basic enabler of a knowledge economy, are not yet in place.
The review committee also came to the conclusion that –
... extremely important, despite being controversial, is that teaching or training is not classified as an essential service, which it undoubtedly is, at all levels from basic to higher education – the nettle simply has to be grasped.
To grasp the nettle, the committee made an appropriate and unanimous recommendation. Recommendation 15 of the report states that "teaching at all levels should be declared an essential public service within labour and other legislation". This recommendation refers to our labour legislation, and that is where President Zuma went wrong. He chose to ignore the exact legal definition of an essential service in the Labour Relations Act, which reads as follows: "Essential service means a service, the interruption of which endangers the life, personal safety or health of the whole or any part of the population".
Afrikaans:
Die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie het in 2005 'n dokument onder die titel "International Classification of Diseases" uitgegee. Die vyfde hoofstuk handel oor geestes- en gedragsafwykings. Sielkundige versteurings word deur die Wêreldgesonheidsorganisasie as siektetoestande erken. Daar kan geredeneer word dat onderwysers wat kort-kort staak hul leerders se geestesgesondheid in gevaar stel deur hulle aan onnodige spanning, angs, onsekerheid en trauma bloot te stel wat selfs depressie tot gevolg kan hê. Swak eksamenuitslae het al tot selfmoord gelei.
Voorsitter, die portfeuljekomitee is ingelig dat die proses met die ministeriële oorsigverslag nog nie afgehandel is nie. Intussen weet ons dat die ANC se besluit om onderwys as noodsaaklike diens te verklaar, deur die SAKP en SA Demokratiese Onderwysunie, Sadou, gedwarsboom is. Dit is korrek om te argumenteer dat 'n onderwyser se reg om te staak 'n fundamentele reg is, maar die Handves van Regte in ons Grondwet spel ook die regte van kinders uit. Artikel 29(1)(a) konstateer: "Elkeen het die reg op basiese onderwys"; artikel 28(1)(d) lees: "Elke kind het die reg om teen mishandeling, verwaarlosing, misbruik of vernedering beskerm te word"; en in die geval van botsende regte tydens 'n staking, behoort artikel 28(2) oorweeg te kan word wat sê: "'n Kind se beste belang is van deurslaggewende belang in elke aangeleentheid wat die kind raak".
Dit is duidelik dat Sadou ontsteld is oor aanbeveling 15. Soveel as wat hierdie aanbeveling nodig is om te verseker dat wetenskap, tegnologie en innovering op 'n stewige grondslag kan gedy, bedreig dit SADOU-lede se reg om te staak.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Chairperson...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Yes, hon member? Hon member, will you just take your seat, please.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Chairperson, just on a point of order: I just wanted to double check with the Chairperson whether we are in the Department of Science and Technology debate.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon Deputy Minister, I am following the hon member, and I will encourage the hon member to move closer to the budget vote in front of us.
Dr J C KLOPPERS-LOURENS: Agb Adjunkminister, u moet net mooi luister. Dan sal u agterkom waaroor dit gaan. Maar geen reg is absoluut nie. Die reg om te staak, sou, as fundamentele reg, in hierdie geval beperk kon word, deur artikel 36, die beperkingsklousule in die Handves, in werking te stel. Agb Minister, die taak lê op u skouers om te sorg dat aanbeveling 15 met groot verantwoordelikheid oorweeg word. Die sukses waarmee u departement sy mandaat in die toekoms sal kan uitvoer, is op die spel.
English:
One of the three priorities underlined in the National Development Plan to achieve its objectives, is "improving the quality of education, skills development and innovation". Education, skills and innovation are inseparable. Deng Xiaoping, an outstanding Chinese leader of the previous century who hugely contributed to turning China into a fast-growing, successful economy, constantly emphasised the importance of education and the advancement of science and technology. Last year, during my budget speech, I stressed the fact that the creation of human capital and a knowledge-based economy starts with the curriculum presented in our education institutions. I called on the Minister to become involved in conversations in this regard. In her response, she agreed that we must strive to improve our performance.
Too little time prevents me from elaborating on this issue, Minister, but it suffices to refer you to an extract from paragraph four of chapter two of the White Paper on Science and Technology, which reads:
New approaches to education and training need to be developed that will equip researchers to work more effectively in an innovative society. This will require new curricula and training programmes that are comprehensive, holistic and flexible, rather than narrowly discipline-based. Education and training in an innovative society should not trap people within constraining specialities, but enable them to participate and adopt a problem-solving approach to social and economic issues within and across discipline boundaries.
Afrikaans:
Agb Minister, ek wil herhaal wat ek verlede jaar gesê het. U departement behoort betrokke te raak by die kurrikulumgesprek en moet miskien selfs die voortou neem.
English:
During the past year, I sought clarity about the issue of government's involvement in SunSpace, a strategically important satellite manufacturing company. Despite two Cabinet decisions in 2009 and 2011 that government would acquire a majority equity stake in SunSpace and that funding would be made available through the usual budget processes of government, the management and council of this company were greatly disillusioned over a period of three and a half years. In what was nothing else but a 180 degree turnaround on this issue, Cabinet, in October 2012, approved that negotiations would be entered into with the SA National Space Agency, Sansa, to explore the absorption of the core capability of SunSpace into Sansa. The department then proposed that SunSpace's core capability be safeguarded and absorbed into Denel Dynamics. The process started in November 2012, and it was anticipated that it could take approximately three to four months. Minister, it is now seven months later. The lives and finances of many highly qualified SunSpace staff members are still on hold. Where does the department stand with the whole absorption process, and at what cost will the tax-paying community have to foot the bill?
Afrikaans:
Laastens, die Africa Institute of South Africa Act Repeal Bill wil die wet herroep en die instituut ontbind, wat tot inkorporasie van die instituut in die Raad vir Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing sal lei. Hoewel dit tans die enigste oplossing vir probleme met die instituut blyk te wees, kom die inkorporering verdag voor. Die inkorporasieproses het reeds begin voordat die Parlement die wetsontwerp goedgekeur het. Dit lyk asof daar eers op inkorporasie besluit is en toe na redes gesoek is om dit te regverdig.
Dit laat 'n mens wonder of die bestuurprobleme van die instituut nie miskien aan die wortel van die ontbinding lê nie. In 1999 was die salarispakket van die besturende direkteur, wat tot vroeë aftrede gedwing is, 'n skrale R150 000. Vir sy opvolger is dit onmiddellik byna verdubbel en binne ses jaar versesvoudig, waarna hy moes bedank vanweë ondersoeke na wanbestuur. Die salarispakket staan tans op R1,5 miljoen. Die jaarlikse begroting van die instituut het oor 'n tydperk van 13 jaar van R3,2 miljoen na R35,2 miljoen geklim, en ten spyte van 'n veel groter personeel is uitsette nie na wense nie. Dit het tot my wete gekom dat die instituut se bydrae tot die mediese hulpfonds van sy pensioenarisse oor die afgelope twee jaar van 70% tot 30% verminder is, glo in opdrag van die departement vanweë begrotingsbeperkinge. Dit is 'n skrale besparing van R55 000 vanjaar teen 'n begroting van ongeveer R40 miljoen.
Soos met die Transnet-pensioenarisse moet pensioenarisse van die instituut nou bykans hul volle pensioen aan mediese fondsbydraes bestee. Dit is pensioene wat in 2012, sonder konsultasie met pensioenarisse, in annuïteitspolisse omskep is wat pensioenarisse nou uitlewer aan die onstabiliteit van die aandelemark. Minister, dit is ontstellend - dit pas nie by die aansien van u departement nie.
Die Minister het reeds daarna verwys, maar vergun my die geleentheid om dr Bernie Fanaroff, 'n baanbreker van die Vierkante Kilometer Reeks, SKA, projek, vandag geluk te wens met die toekenning van die Nasionale Orde van Mapungupwe, silwer, wat aan hom op Vryheidsdag verleen is. Dr Fanaroff, ons salueer u! Dankie. [Applous.]
Ms S K PLAATJIE /Mia / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 355
Dr "National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,23 May 2013,"Take 355 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,16 May 2013,"[Take-355] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][ml].doc"
J C KLOPPERS LOURENS
Ms S K PLAATJIE: Chairperson, hon Minister, members, guest in the gallery, the building of the Square Kilometre Array telescope is a proud moment for South Africa. Rightly, we should be very proud to have won international support for the building of this unique telescope in our country.
However, this remarkable achievement underscored the two realities of South Africa. On one side Mathematics, high science and technology prevail. On the other side these are almost completely lacking. Our Maths education for many years ranked amongst the worst in the world.
If our country has any ambition of being a leader in the field of technology, it will certainly have to put the teaching of Mathematics on a war footing. The two Departments of Education as well as the Department of Science and Technology should seek to do away with Maths Literacy immediately and put Mathematics at the centre of the school. Our failure to remedy the deficit in Mathematics and science education will prevent the transformation of our country and our economy from being realised.
In the apartheid era Verwoerd had decreed that Maths and science should not be taught to black children in South Africa. One would therefore, have expected the democratic government to have prioritised Maths and science education above everything else.
If the foundation is lacking, the superstructure that the department is seeking to build will be unrealistic. We demand to know when the teaching of Maths and science in our schools will be put on a war footing.
The second problem relates to embedding science and technology in the National Development Plan. However, the SA Communist Party, and Cosatu are rejecting the only plan for the revival of the South African economy out of hand.
On page 809 of the Estimated National Expenditure, ENE, the department states that: "In order to realise the potential of technology as an engine of growth, investment needs to be made in scientific and technological education and the population empowerment, through access to knowledge and skills, to use technology efficiently".
Everywhere in the world technology is indeed being used to serve as an engine of growth. Yesterday, Samsung in South Korea announced the arrival of 5G mobile broadband, which would make the downloading of data hundred times faster than 4G. If technology is going to be our engine of growth, why are we lagging behind in broadband development?
Our population has definitely not been empowered through access to knowledge and skills, to use technology efficiently, as is in projects in the Estimated National Expenditure. I will so far go as to say that our population is simply being left to provide its own support without any real intervention from government. The general population is being fed promises and nothing else.
I am stressing the point of small businesses because the department is claiming in the Estimates of National Expenditure to be contributing to employment creation and economic growth by providing technological assistance packages to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises. We would like to know what constitutes these packages and how widely they are being rolled out.
At a time in our country when joblessness continues to escalate and desperation is intensifying, it is time to ask hard questions about how public money is being spent. The present administration by next year will have added a mind-blowing R1 trillion to the national dept. Therefore, considering how much is being spent by government and how much it is borrowing, we need to know which research undertaken by the department has already led to industrial opportunities in earth system sciences, advanced manufacturing, advanced metals and Information Communication Technology?
If indeed this is so, what investments were made in respect of the research in our economy and how many jobs were created?
The funding of remarkable research has indeed to be a priority of the department. We have already lost R15 billion or more on the Joule Electric car and Modular Pebble Bed Reactor. Is the ongoing marketable research guaranteed to produce income and jobs?
Speaker, the time has come for each department to produce a rolling of expenditure and outcomes. The department must show the total number of projects or programmes that were abandoned from the past and those that they are still continuing with?
The Minister of Finance continues each year with the matter that we need more banks for our bucks and therefore, the question of an annual as well as a continuous value audit has become a vital necessity.
On page 813 the department explains that: "the increase in expenditure in 2009 to 2013 is attributing to the expansion of executive support". What exactly does this mean and what value obtained for South Africa from that increased expenditure?
Leading on from that question, I need to ask: what performance Information Management System did the department procure that was different from other departments, and what Ministerial public participation programme did it undertake as required by government regulations?
Speaker, this department must not only assert that its activities are central to knowledge growth, innovation and industrialisation; it must prove that on a year-on-year basis.
SO, Cope will support the Budget Vote but requests that the questions raised in this intervention should be given full and satisfactory responses. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr P F SMITH / MALUTA ///tfm\\\ / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 356
**incomplete**
Mr P F SMITH:
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 357
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,29 May 2013,"Take 357 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
Mr P F SMITH
Ms A Z NDLAZI: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of the Department of Science and Technology, hon members, distinguished guests, today, as we vote on the Budget of the Department of Science and Technology, let us take a moment to reflect and acknowledge our medical scientists and the role played by the Department of Science and Technology in advancing health research.
The past year was very fruitful with regard to the investment of the department in health innovation. Not only was Prof Kelly Chibale able to announce the first South African discovery on malaria drug candidate but this was also followed by the announcement of a close partnership with the pharmaceutical industry that will boost drug discovery and development capacities in Africa. South Africa is suffering from a quadruple burden of diseases namely HIV and TB, maternal and child mortality, noncommunicable disease and violence injuries and trauma.
This disease burden is mostly fuelled by poverty and disempowerment. HIV and Aids are still the main problems but noncommunicable diseases are rapidly increasing due to lifestyle changes associated with urbanisation and diet changes as well as socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors. Innovative and creative ways to deal with all four contributors of the burden of diseases and mortality are necessary to address this.
It is also essential that we develop partnerships within government, the science community and industry. The Department of Science and Technology should be congratulated on the development of health research partnership model that brings together individual researchers from various institutions in the country into formal collaborative relationships dedicated to the pursuit of a shared health research and development agenda.
The department currently supports research and development collaborative initiatives aimed at tackling diseases such as HIV/Aids, TB, malaria and noncommunicable diseases.
IsiXhosa:
Nangona iSifo sePhepha isesona sifo sinobungozi esosulelayo, kukho ukunqongophala kwezixhobo ezifanekileyo ukuthintela esi sifo, ingakumbi kumazwe amaninzi asaphuhlayo. Abaphandi boMzantsi Afrika bayinxalenye yokuphanda ngamachiza. Le nkqubo isekuvavanyo kodwa iziphumo ziyakhuthaza ukuba ukufunyanwa kwechiza lokunyanga iSifo Sephepha eMzansi Afrika sekumbovu.
English:
South Africa is seen as a good site to conduct clinical studies and hence there is a number of clinical trials of HIV/Aids and TB preventative and treatment tools that are conducted in the country. It is essential that South Africa ensures that we actually benefit from these clinical trials. With regard to the research of HIV and Aids, the project funded by the Department of Science and Techonology ensures that the South African researchers are acknowledged internationally. The ongoing effort to confirm the results of the tenofovir microbicide gel should be commended.
Young women still bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic and have to find solutions that will protect these young lives. We are hopefully optimistic that the results of the facts study and centre for the aids programme of research in SA, Caprisa 008, studies will be able provide some prevention. Researchers at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Caprisa announced, in 2012, a ground breaking discovery which provides an important new approach that could prove useful in making an Aids vaccine. The researchers discovered a unique feature of HIV that enables infected people to make antibodies that are able to kill a wide range of HIV strains. These broadly neutralising antibodies are considered to be the key in developing an Aids vaccine.
A noncommunicable disease research and innovation initiative has been established to address the increasing problem of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The key component of the department's effort with regard to the project mentioned above is aligned to collaboration with public-private partnerships dedicated to escalating drug discovery, vaccines, diagnostic research and development. As such, the department is adopting an innovative and collaborative approach to the development of new medicines or vaccines and diagnostics whereby it takes to developing strategic partnerships with other government departments.
The Department of Science and Technology in support of the development of the National Health Insurance, the CSIR, is assisting with the infrastructure unit system support project in acquiring primary healthcare model. The organisation is also developing, on behalf of National Department of Health, a national normative standards framework for e-health. The organisation has developed and implemented mobile technologies to support the re-engineered primary healthcare model. The focus on the 2012 survey has been expanded to include a wide range of health information, for instance, the health of infants and mothers and child health. It also included emerging interventions such as male circumcision, issues around psychological health and behavioural risks, for example, alcohol abuse and drug use.
As stated in the National Development Plan, science and technology should be leveraged to solve some of the biggest challenges in education and health. I have highlighted some cases, particularly, in health. The ANC resolved in the 53 National Conference that the ANC should prioritise science and technology policy development implementation and monitoring capacity. Also, the principle of mainstreaming science, technology innovation in the ANC-led government and the private sector should be adopted. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
Adv A de W ALBERTS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 357
Ms A Z NDLAZI
Adv A de W ALBERTS: Chairperson, the father of modern space travel, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, stated at the turn of the previous century that while earth is the cradle of humankind, one does not stay in the cradle forever. Those words were prophetic as science and technology that emerged from it gave rise to a complex new world where humankind traverses all corners and depths of the earth and rises from our earthly cradle to meet the distant planets and stars that seemed to unreachable before.
Afrikaans:
Hierdie departement speel 'n groot rol om te sorg dat Suid-Afrika deel bly van hierdie breë beweging van wetenskap en tegnologie, wat vir ons kennis bring oor die aard van ons bestaan, asook hoe ons die toekoms kan bestuur tot voordeel van alle lewe op dié kosbare blou planeet van ons.
Die departement se doelwit is dan ook om die volle potensiaal van wetenskap en tegnologie te realiseer in sosiale en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, deur menslike hulpbronne, navorsing en innovasie. Die departement se prestasies, of gebrek daaraan, moet dus aan die hand van hul eie doelwitte geëvalueer word.
English:
The department deserves praise for its work on the Square Kilometre Array, SKA bid, and for ensuring that the country received the lion's share of the project. The SKA bid will ensure that South Africa stays a hub for scientific research into the future. Having said this, there are also serious concerns regarding other projects that have not been managed as well.
The budget report states that the purpose of the department's research, development and innovation programme is to facilitate knowledge generation and exploitation through research and development in the key priority areas of space science, bioeconomy and energy.
However, if one has regard to the fiasco that government created regarding its proposed investment in SunSpace, so as to grow the space science capability and economy of the country, one has serious doubts regarding government's commitment to that purpose. After government decided to invest in SunSpace, it mysteriously reneged on its commitment which in turn gave rise to the company's financial distress.
Now, the only private space company in Africa is going to be broken up and merged on a piecemeal basis with Denel, which has its own challenges. I understand that the Minister inherited this problem and in discussions with myself seemed open-minded and willing to look at other alternatives. Therefore, I wish to implore the Minister to once again enter into discussions to save the company. The director-general of Trade and Industry seems keen to contemplate an investment as it dovetails with Industrial Policy Action Plan, IPAP, but is concerned that the break-up process has now already progressed too far. I am certain that, if the Minister liaises with Trade and Industry, a solution can be found.
Afrikaans:
Laastens, is dit kommerwekkend om te sien dat die intellektuele kapitaal of menslike hulpbronne rondom die gestaakte korrelbedkernreaktor-program nou privaat voortgaan in die VSA. Dit laat die vraag ontstaan of daar nooit genoeg gepoog was om die talent vir Suid-Afrika te behou nie.
Die Minister is nuut in sy pos. Hy het nou 'n geleentheid om sy eie stempel af te druk en 'n monument te bou. Die eerste hoeksteen daarvan sal inderdaad wees as hy Sunspace van sy gewisse ondergang sal kan red. [Applous.]
Ms H LINE-HENDRICKS / TH (Afr) /Nb (Eng&Xh)/Checked by Nobuntu. / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 358
Adv A de W ALBERTS
Afrikaans:
Mrs H LINE-HENDRIKS: Agb Huisvoorsitter, agb Ministers, agb Adjunkministers, agb lede van die Parlement van Suid-Afrika, dames en here, die ANC glo dat wetenskap, tegnologie en innovasie baie belangrik en sentraal is om bruikbare en aanvaarbare oplossings vir sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings in Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe te vind. Daarom moet dit bevorder word deur meer beleggings en die befondsing van innovasie, nuwe idees en tegnologie.
Die datum, 25 Mei 2012, was nie maar net nog 'n dag op die kalender van Afrika, en in besonder, Suid-Afrika nie. Dit was die dag waarop nege jaar se harde werk beloon was, toe die Vierkante Kilometer Reeks, SKA-organisasie aangekondig het dat Suid-Afrika deur konsensus gekies is om die SKA op te rig. Hierdie projek is in die Noord-Kaap geleë in 'n dorpie met die naam van Carnarvon. Dit is 'n baie klein dorpie met baie min ekonomiese en beperkte vooruitgangsgeleenthede.
Die oprigting van die SKA in hierdie area is egter reeds besig om die geskiedenis van hierdie dorpie te herskryf. Die plaaslike hospitaal is alreeds opgegradeer, meer besighede is geopen, veral gastehuise, eiendomspryse het baie drasties die hoogte ingevlieg, 'n rekenaarlokaal is by die hoërskool ingerig en 20 nuwe rekenaars is alreeds afgelewer. Binne die volgende 60 dae sal die IT-gemeenskapsentrum in Bonteheuwel in samewerking met die Kareeberg Munisipaliteit gereed wees vir gebruik.
Die plaaslike gemeenskap word ook op ander maniere bevoordeel. Sowat 900 werksgeleenthede is reeds geskep vir die oprigting van infrastruktuur en ander bedrywighede op die terrein. Hierdie geleenthede spoel ook oor in ontwikkelingskursusse vir die plaaslike gemeenskap. Van die kontrakteurs het 'n wye verskeidenheid kursusse aangebied. Die plaaslike onderwysers het ook rekenaarvaardigheidsopleiding gekry.
Dit is veral oor ons plaaslike jeug waaroor 'n mens baie opgewonde kan raak. Sestien studente – vier vroue en 12 mans – van Carnarvon, Williston en Van Wyksvlei het in April 2012 met tersiêre opleiding in Kimberley begin. Hulle is besig met tegniese kwalifikasies om later op die projek te kom werk. Die voorgraadse SKA-beursstudente reik ook jaarliks uit om die plaaslike skole se leerders bloot te stel aan loopbaangeleenthede wat verband hou met die SKA-projek.
Soos ons maar is as mense, moet ons altyd probleme hê en moet elke projek vir ons probleme inhou. Een van die vrae wat ek, onder die omstandighede, nooit kon antwoord, en geleentheid kon kry om te antwoord nie, is die feit dat die projek daar is – goed en wel – maar wat betref die ontwikkeling wat tans op die projek plaasvind, sal dit net dan wees dat die gastehuis daar is, want ons weet dat die wetenskaplikes ongereelde ure werk? Sal dit beteken dat meer ontwikkeling op die projek self sal plaasvind, of sal die ontwikkeling meestal in Carnarvon plaasvind?
Ons sal nie waarde kan heg sonder om ons vorige Minister, Naledi Pandor, geluk te wens met alles, asook die deursettingsvermoë wat sy aan die dag gelê het nie. Sy het regtig weer betekenis aan die spreukwoord kom gee dat 'n vrou staande kan bly onder moeilike omstandighede en die beste verseker. [Applous.]
English:
The department is also involved through its entities in other community-based projects. I will now present these projects briefly.
The proposed Hondeklipbaai abalone hatchery would be capable of supplying abalone spat to both abalone ranching and land-based farming, in addition to creating 30 permanent jobs. This project is still awaiting the outcomes of the application for environmental authorisation.
In the Onseepkans essential oils project, it was discovered that the agricultural potential investigation and soil analysis must be completed as part of the ploughing certificate application. The Pella essential oils project also has challenges with the approval of a ploughing certificate and water use licence. A water use licence was issued for irrigation purposes only, and a similar licence for water storage on site is needed. A meeting was held with the majority of the key role-players in this process to clarify constraints and to speed up the process.
With the Witdraai medicinal plants project, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, first met with the relevant provincial officials to confirm the required permit application forms and to understand the processes involved in obtaining environmental approval before compiling the application. This project aims to develop a model to develop indigenous plant species from wild crafted material to cultivate material for processing while conforming to all regulatory requirements.
The Nourivier-Kougoed demonstration agronomy project faces the challenge of a damaged dam wall that poses a risk to the community in the event of flooding and abstraction of water from the dam. This is not desirable, but a high-level intervention could facilitate the solving of this problem and averting a potential disaster.
In all of these cases, our science councils and entities are working closely with local and provincial authorities to accelerate these socioeconomic innovations for the improvement of the lives of our people. It is essential that we continue to support the close working relationships and co-ordination of all spheres of government in the National System of Innovation.
Afrikaans:
Ons moet regtig erkenning gee aan die ANC-regering. Die regering is doelgerig en wil graag verseker dat wetenskap, tegnologie en innovasie soos 'n hand in 'n handskoen pas om vooruitgang te verseker.
Ek wil graag die personeel in die ministerie bedank vir hulle beskikbaarheid en hulpvaardigheid wanneer hulle nodig gekry kon word. Ek moet egter ook my familie bedank, want, om Afrikaanssprekend te wees en om Afrikaans te kan praat is goed, maar om hom te kan skryf is 'n ander ding. [Tussenwerpsels.] My dogter is in matriek, en sy was die woordeboek. My man was die inhoudspesialis. Baie dankie. [Applous.]
Mrs J F TERBLANCHE / /Robyn/ END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 359
Mrs H LINE-HENDRIKS
Mrs J F TERBLANCHE: Hon House Chair, Minister, Deputy Minister and members, in an array of mediocre departments paying lip service to the implementation of, sometimes, very good policy, the Department of Science and Technology does stand out like one of the shining stars that can be viewed from Sutherland. [Applause.]
In a very interesting visit to the 1820 Observatory here in Cape Town, we got a clear idea that not only what is happening at the Observatory, but also what impacts the telescopes and specifically, the South African Large Telescope, Salt, had on the small community of Sutherland - the tourists boom, schools built, a science centre for all to use, guestshouses being put in place and local residents trained to act as tour guides.
The DA welcomes the developments of the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, in the Karoo. The world's attention is fixed on the SKA and the construction of the precursor or pathfinder to the SKA project, which is currently underway - the 64 MeerKAT Antennas, first of which will be installed by December this year.
The majority of the SKA will be built in Africa and as the world's biggest telescope and one of the biggest scientific projects ever. Similar benefits to the immediate community and the benefits for the country as a whole should be explored. A concern identified by the Auditor-General in the last audit report for the Department was that: Of the 81 targets planned, only 54 targets were achieved during the year under review.
This represents 33% of total planned targets that were not achieved during the year under review. This was due to the fact that indicators and targets were not suitably developed during the strategic planning process and could indicate poor performance on predetermined objectives. In research and specifically where our researches are competing for limited funding, it is crucial that proper and detailed planning be done, that specific objectives are being set, that these objectives be measureable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Failing to achieve the set objectives in one out of three is simply not good enough.
Coming to the National Research Foundation, NRF, and specifically the Antarctic research, in an earlier parliamentary question by Hon Marian Shinn, it was asked how the SA Agulhas II research facilities could fairly be shared by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs and the Department of Science and Technology. The answer was that the details would still have to be sorted out.
With climate change and diminishing natural resources becoming more and more relevant – only yesterday media widely reported on the record CO2, Carbon dioxide, recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory on the big island of Hawaii - thank you James Lorimer - measured the highest level of carbon dioxide on record, back on 9 May. The measurement surpassed 400 parts per million for the first time since records began back in 1958.
The question remains: How will the research facilities on the SA Agulhas II, eight permanent and six containerized laboratories for different fields of marine, environmental, biological and climate research, be utilised? R400 million was budgeted over the medium term for human capital development and R605 million for the modernisation of research infrastructure through the Human Capital and Knowledge Systems programme, this should be welcomed.
However, in scientific publications published, concerns about funding from the National Research Foundation were raised. Allegations such as: "The shift in the funding priorities of the department and the NRF over the last 5 years is leaving researchers in specific disciplines, as well as their graduate students, high and dry."
Although the shift introduced new exciting scientific research initiatives is welcomed and is indeed of critical importance, it is also crucially important that new initiatives should not be at the expense of support for the basic sciences across all disciplines that should be the foundation of the national research effort.
It must also support the department's strategic objective to increase the number of rated researchers, strengthening research activities at universities to produce world-class research, and increasing the number of PhD students in South Africa.
An international publication reported that South Africa at present have 393 research for each million of our population. This is a very challenging low figure, about a third of that of Botswana and is placing South Africa in the bottom group of world research.
It is therefore a question of doing the one thing and not neglecting the other. Interaction with tertiary institutions, the bastion of South African research on their funding problems, listening and responding to the voices at the helm of our research facilities, should therefore be an annual occurrence. Thank you. [Applause.]
Ms M L DUNJWA / EKS/LIM CHECKED// END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 360
**incomplete**
Ms M L DUNJWA:
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 16 May 2013 Take: 361
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,16 May 2013,"[Take-361] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][ml].doc"
Ms M L DUNJWA
The MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Chairperson and hon members, it is really difficult to respond to so much that has been said. One thing that is clear to me, however, is that the members have really worked hard and prepared themselves for this debate. I am really impressed.
It was quite difficult to absorb everything that everybody was saying, because these were well researched contributions to this debate. There was lots of additional information that I think the members in the gallery would have obtained and I am sure those members in this House who are not members of the portfolio committee found this debate enriching and fascinating. So, I want to thank the members from all parties for really making a constructive contribution to a very important debate and for doing their homework really thoroughly. I also want to thank, obviously, all members for the support that they have given the Department of Science and Technology and the acknowledgement of the importance of the work that is being done to our country.
Very briefly, firstly, the chairperson of the portfolio committee, the hon Ngcobo, spent some time highlighting the importance of indigenous knowledge systems. I want to thank him for that because it is one of the areas that sometimes get neglected. Sometimes, it is underappreciated. It is often regarded as a kind of pseudo-science, but we believe that there really is valuable knowledge held by communities, which needs to be valued, acknowledged, better understood and better researched, so that we can extract maximum value out of this knowledge and ensure that local communities benefit from the commercialisation of their knowledge. The starting point, however, is recognising that there are knowledge-holders out there who have important knowledge. Give them due credit and make sure that, in however you construct it, some benefits flow to what we regard as local community knowledge-holders.
Secondly, to the hon member Kloppers-Lourens, I do not have a lot of time, I am afraid, so I am going to have to rush through my comments. Again, I think your dedication to the work of this portfolio committee is really much appreciated. We do not disagree with some of the comments you made on education, but, you know, our approach might be a little bit different. The Minister, Naledi Pandor, is sitting there. She is also the Chairperson of the ANC's Committee on Health and Education. These matters that have been raised here are being very, very carefully debated. We agree that there has to be a greater level of accountability and responsibility taken by teachers in our society. The matter of essential service, or not, is a matter that is still being discussed. One thing that we believe is very important is keeping stakeholders on board and engaging with our social partners, including trade unions.
There are a couple of things. In this debate – and we know there are big challenges in education – we must not neglect to acknowledge the thousands of teachers who really care about their work, who are dedicated and who often working under difficult conditions. [Applause.] Yes, they are really the salt of the earth. However, we must also appeal to teachers who neglect their responsibilities. They are not doing our country a favour even if they exercise their right as enshrined in the Constitution to protest. Respect and dignity must be maintained at all times. Teachers are meant to be role models in our society. [Applause.] They must rise to that. They must be role models.
Parents must, too. We would like to suggest that parents are probably not taking their responsibilities as seriously as they should. I think it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that parents in our constituencies really take up their responsibilities more seriously.
Hon Plaatjie, thank you, again, also, for a very well researched piece of work. A lot of questions will have to be answered afterwards. You touched on earth science systems. Interestingly, as South Africa has ideal conditions for doing internationally important astronomy work and has ideal conditions for doing work in palaeontology because of our enormously rich fossil finds, when it comes to earth sciences, we are, in truth, a natural laboratory.
We have everything in our country that will give the world better answers to some of the fundamental questions, including questions relating to climate change and to what is happening on our planet. So, it is not by coincidence that we chose Global Change as one of our five priority areas. We have such ideal conditions to do research in this important area of earth science.
In a place called Berlin not far from Potsdam, there is an institute called the Centre for Geosciences, the Helmholtz Institute for Geosciences. When we visited the institute, they said that there is no country in the world that has so much to offer as a kind of a living laboratory for researchers as South Africa does in the area of earth science.
To the hon Smith, let me firstly say – where are you anyway, Peter? I mean, we are not allowed to call each other by first names, are we? – you are a truly valued member of the portfolio committee. Your intellect and your positive contributions are always valued by the members of the portfolio committee. I would agree with most of what you say, except that mathematical literacy is not "a nonsense". I would say that we obviously want our learners to do well in Mathematics and Science. We need to concentrate on the quality of teaching that happens, the capabilities of our teachers. There are a number of things that we need to do in order to get better results in Mathematics and Science, but mathematical literacy does have value.
Popularising science, hon Smith, well, of course we would like other departments, including Basic Education, to do that, but we do science and in doing science, we need to popularise it. Bernie, you want to use this Square Kilometre Array, SKA, to popularise science in the minds of many young people out there, who will dream, who, one day, will become the astronomers, who, one day, will make Bernie a not-so-very significant figure. They will be getting the next Mapungubwe Orders because we nurture them. We excite them through what we are doing, Peter, and I think that is very important.
We must also learn to communicate our work much more effectively. Yes, we must target the 1,5%, and yes, it is true, there has been a backward slide. We must take that seriously. With the work that we are doing in the tax incentives, the uptake has not been what we were hoping it would be. So, we have been working very carefully with Sars and with the Treasury to ensure that we tighten up these instruments to get better uptake, because the real decline in expenditure in research and development has been on the private sector side. It has been a difficult period, admittedly, and of course, some of the major projects, such as the pebble bed modular reactor, PBMR, and its discontinuation, had a major impact on the amount of research and development done by the private sector. Yhu! [Gosh!] This man is going to stop me very soon!
Hon Ndlazi, the 23 higher education institutions that we have in our country are now served at speeds of up to – how many gigabytes per second? A lot. A lot! [Interjections.] I thought one of you would help me! The fact of the matter is that, in terms of the ICT needs of our universities and higher research institutions, we are very close to the international benchmark, and that is a fact.
Afrikaans:
Agb Alberts, ek is nie so nuut in die pos nie, jy weet. Ek was daar, ek het goeie onderwysers, soos minister Pandor, gehad. Ek is al baie jare in die pos. Dit is net onlanks dat ek 'n Minister geword het, maar daar is nie só groot 'n verskil nie.
English:
A lot of issues were raised about Sun Space and Information Systems (Pty) Ltd, SunSpace. Let us just say a couple of things. SunSpace is a private company. Yes, we had big dreams for SunSpace, and SunSpace had big ambitions. It developed very, very serious human capabilities. They had it there, but unfortunately, they did not get the international contracts that all of us were hoping they would get. Effectively, SunSpace became insolvent. Now, it is true, we must use our taxpayers' money responsibly. Just salvaging an insolvent company would not have been a responsible use of taxpayers' money. The decision to merge or to rescue SunSpace was the right decision, but to rescue it in the right way was important. So, we – or rather, SunSpace itself – did appoint a business rescue practitioner; we put a lot of money into SunSpace, and a lot of effort into rescuing the human capabilities, the human capital that is there. However, I think it is going to be a topic for discussion at the portfolio committee so that we can go through it in more detail.
Afrikaans:
Aan die agb lid, Line-Hendricks, nee, jou Afrikaans is uitstekend, man! [Tussenwerpsels.]
English:
I do not know why you apologise for your written Afrikaans because you were reading what you wrote. [Applause.] Thank you for what you say about the SKA, and also to the hon Terblanche, thank you very much.
One thing which we should all be mindful of, however, is that this is a global project. It is a project that has put Africa on the map such as no other scientific project has ever done. So, we must be a bit careful to avoid it becoming a local economic development project. We want the people in Carnarvon to benefit, as people in Sutherland have benefited, but we can only go so far in the local benefit. We do not want people in the rest of South Africa to say, It brought development to Carnarvon, you know – what about the rest of us? We have got to embrace it as a country project that puts our country on the map in the area of science and technology such as no other project has. There will be jobs - and many jobs – for engineers, for technicians, for astronomers. They are coming, but they are not all going to be located in Carnarvon, and I think you must help us manage that process. [Applause.]
I thank the hon Dunjwa for trying to wrap it all up. I think your role in the portfolio committee, keeping us all disciplined, keeping us all focused on our work, is well appreciated. Above all, I think the role of the Chair of the committee – and all the members of the committee – is to ensure that this committee is not fraught with political in-fighting.
When there are issues, there are serious issues, and we engage on the issues. Members of the opposition parties, you really have done me a disfavour here. With elections coming up, you have not given me anything to bash you on! [Laughter.] Thank you very, very much for everything that you have done. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
APPROPRIATION BILL – DEBATE ON VOTE 14 – ARTS AND CULTURE
/Robyn/ END OF TAKE
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