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Date : 07/04/2005
Source: Department of Science and Technology
Title: Mangena: Science and Technology Dept Budget Vote 2005/2006


Budget Vote address by the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena

Honourable Chairperson
Honourable Members

The President’s observation, in his state of the nation address, that South Africa has never, in its entire history enjoyed such a confluence of encouraging possibilities, applies to Science and Technology as well. And this gives us one more reason to be highly optimistic about our future.

We have recently celebrated the success of our scientists at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at Onderstepoort, who have sequenced and annotated the complete genome of the bacterium, Ehrilchia ruminatium, the causative agent of the deadly Heartwater Disease, which has decimated cattle, sheep and goat herds throughout sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. In all likelihood, within five years, this breakthrough will result in an effective vaccine, which will bring an end to this dreadful scourge. This is the first entire sequencing of any organism that has been done in Africa, and is hard evidence that Africa’s problems can be solved with African resources.

We also celebrated the achievement of Izak du Preez of Pietermaritzburg, a young South African matriculant who achieved third position at the 2004 International Sciences Fair held in the USA, a fair for which South Africa has also been chosen to host in 2007.

Like in sports and arts and culture, achievements in science and technology are a source of national pride. Indeed, science and technology, combined with our new position in the world, is making it possible for us to turn our hopes into realities and to harvest the fruits of freedom by using all available resources to improve our lives.

Casual observers often have some difficulty in understanding the precise role that the Department of Science and Technology plays, and is expected to play, in the South Africa economy in addressing government objectives of growth fuelled by the first economy, and uplifting the historically excluded majority.

Let’s go back in time a little, to revisit the two fundamental steps that brought us to where we are today. The 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology provided the roadmap, which underpins all S&T developments from that time. And Cabinet’s acceptance of the National Research and Development Strategy in 2002, as the basis for further development of the National System of Innovation, led to a number of measures:

1. The unbundling of Science and Technology from the former department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
2. The refocusing of the stand-alone S&T department and ministry – charged with the task of leading the move to modernise South Africa’s economy and society, and
3. The realignment of the DST from the social cluster to the economic cluster, which is a clear recognition of the role that Science and Technology is expected to play in our economy in order to attain the ambitious target of the 6 - 7% GDP growth rate.

These days, there is very little activity of any kind that is left untouched by the influence of technology or science. There is, for example, a science and technology of agriculture, which stretches from the yield and disease-resistance of crops, to the development of effective new vaccines to protect livestock against infection. In the same way, there is a science and technology of Health, Defence, Education, Transport, Housing, Minerals and Energy, Communications, and much, much more. Each one of these fields or disciplines is subject to technological change and innovation on an ongoing basis, and it is part of the role of the DST to monitor new developments, and advise on their suitability as instruments that will accelerate the achievement of the nation’s goals. Therefore, our department has to ensure that appropriate science and technology inputs at all levels and in all sectors of the economy are factored.

A new strategic management model, designed to address the lack of a strategic approach to the management of the State funded portion of South Africa’s science and technology system, was approved by cabinet early in 2004. In terms of this framework, the DST is mandated to provide a core service to Government and the nation by managing the entire portfolio of large scale, broad scope, new technology platforms and challenges, including space science, nanotechnology, the hydrogen economy, and associated human resources, in government laboratories or universities. The DST will also be responsible for ensuring a common governance framework and Key Performance Indicators for the science system, and indicators for recording government’s S&T budget. And, although line departments will assume primary responsibility for focused, sectoral and relatively mature technology domains, they will receive assistance from the DST in these areas, whilst maintaining full responsibility for their own standard technology-based services.

Honourable Members, this model requires the DST to play a significant role in assisting different sectors, from manufacturing and transport, to health and crime prevention, to develop appropriate strategies, and make sound investments in technology, research and development. The DST has maintained a good track record in developing this type of partnership. Typical examples are the development of the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative with the Department of Health, and the development of the National Energy Research Institute with the Department of Minerals and Energy. The DST will continue to actively seek productive partnership agreements with other departments, particularly in projects that create a ladder between the second and the first economy.

Much of our success as a country is dependent on research and development. And in recent years, this has been a particularly worrisome subject. According to figures released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the worldwide average annual national investment in R&D across public and private sectors, is presently 2.15% of GDP, although some countries, Finland and Korea, for example, spend much more.

The current level of R&D investment in South Africa is 0.76%, barely a third of the OECD average. This is insufficient to assure our national competitiveness. Therefore, we have recommitted ourselves to the 2002 National R&D Strategy of 1% of GDP to be invested by both public and private sectors by 2008. This implies an additional R2 billion across both sectors. We believe that it is not too much to ask.

There is also a marked reduction in research and development work by the private sector. This is partially explained by globalisation and the centralisation of R&D work by multinationals. It does not explain why so many large South African companies seem so coy and hesitant to invest in R&D. Currently, only Sasol is going against this trend. R&D is critical to economic development by providing new R&D based products and processes with potential for introduction to the market. For that reason, we are together with other departments, investigating ways and means to correct this situation.

On the subject of International Cooperation and Resources, South Africa has much to be thankful for and much to look forward to. International alliances being forged with the European Union, within the NEPAD structure, and within the India-Brazil-South Africa partnership are gaining their own momentum. Prior to 1994, foreign funding of South African R&D was almost zero. Recent figures show that it has now grown to at least 6% of total expenditure, and projects such as the European Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership (EDCCTP), and the construction of the Southern Africa Large Telescope, are making a strong contribution.

The South African Large Telescope (SALT) is presently one of the flagship projects of South African scientific enterprise. I went to see it in December last year, and I can tell you that it is an imposing, wonderful state-of-the-art facility. It really puts us in a good position for our bid for the Square Kilometre Array. Construction has been completed, and we are now in the process of fine-tuning it. We anticipate the launch of the telescope in November this year.

We must, however, continue to widen the scope of our international relationships to achieve a minimum of three key objectives:

1. To foster and maintain connections that result in a net flow of information into South Africa;
2. To muster international resources to help achieve our national goals with the cooperation of global partners; and
3. To employ science and technology as an instrument of our interaction with the international community.

With the strategic framework acknowledged and in place, the following activities are now in preparation, or in various stages of completion during 2005/2006 financial year:

1. The transfer of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Department of Science and Technology, to coincide with the beginning of the 2005 financial year;
2. Finalisation of an institutional mechanism for the integration of Higher Education Research as a joint project of the DST and the Department of Education;
3. The redefinition of the “Science Vote” process for the 2006/07 budgeting programme, thus creating a national science and technology expenditure plan, in conjunction with the National Treasury and other departments;
4. The drafting of a policy of governance standards for scientific and technological institutions; and
5. The finalisation of a cogent policy on intellectual property rights on products and processes resulting from publicly funded research.

Honourable Members, let me now enumerate some of the many successes and achievements that my department has been responsible for during this last period:

1. To celebrate 10 productive years of democracy, in November 2004, the DST successfully hosted an International Innovation, Science and Technology Exhibition (INSITE 2004). We would like to express our sincere thanks to all individuals, enterprises, and institutes who contributed to the success of INSITE 2004. This gratitude is extended also to the international scientific and industrial community for its co-operation in the search for new horizons and improved technologies
2. The department has successfully promoted South Africa’s participation in strategic multilateral organisations, of which the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology is a good example. A number of South Africans have been nominated for key positions on ICGEB, including the role of External Auditor
3. Cabinet approved the Human Capital Research and Innovation Frontier Programme to build the science base needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Programme, which is a uniquely South African Nuclear Technology innovation
4. The DST has taken a leadership role in the international process to establish a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, known as GEOSS. Acting through the DST, South Africa participated in the development of the ten-year implementation plan, and was elected co-chair of the Group on Earth Observations, GEO. GEOSS aims to enable globally coordinated earth observations, across a number of domains, to provide better and more reliable data in areas of benefit to society, including agriculture, weather, climate, water, disasters, health, energy, biodiversity and ecosystems
5. Our bid to host the extraordinary Square Kilometre Array continues on track. We are now in the process of building a 1% SKA demonstrator called “Pathfinder”, which will enable South African industry and academia to participate in the technology development process
6. Riding on the back of this bid, we have established a Research and Technology Collaboration Centre, which aims to capitalise on the technology challenges of the SKA telescope
7. A high-speed research network has been established. The South African Research Network will interconnect all South African research institutions to similar institutions elsewhere in the world, and efforts to reduce the cost of bandwidth are presently underway
8. An Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy (IKS) was recently approved by Cabinet. This followed recognition of the fact that indigenous knowledge has always been and continues to be the primary factor in the survival and welfare of the majority of South Africans. The policy seeks to recognise this, to affirm it, develop it, and promote and protect the custodians and practitioners of this knowledge.

The Deputy Minister, Derek Hanekom, will dwell more on some of our programmes.

Notwithstanding the tight fiscal conditions and pressing social and infrastructural needs, we appreciate the new funds that Treasury has allocated to the DST this year. To address the insufficient expertise in science and engineering disciplines, Treasury allocated DST R200 m over the next three years to establish chairs in science and engineering faculties at universities. The financing of the creation of human capital is critical in addressing transformation and our human resource needs.

We have also received R39m for science and technology infrastructure in the 2007/8 financial year. As you know, infrastructure is a critical success factor in research, and the ability of our scientists to perform cutting edge research and to be competitive globally, is linked to the availability good and state-of-the-art infrastructure for science and technology.

While a lot has been achieved in the past year, we still face critical challenges in some key areas of our innovation chain. For example, there is an emerging need for a South African Space Agency to address government fragmented effort and potential loss of expertise in space science.

The DST has embarked on an ambitious project of establishing a network of science centres nationwide. The largest science centre in South Africa is the MTN Sciencentre in Cape Town, but the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg, when it is completed, will be the largest. There is an inequitable distribution of science centres in the country. In particular, the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga have none at all, and this is of particular concern to us.

Science centres are variably funded and managed. Some are sponsored by government, others by universities, the NRF or private sector. The DST is in the process of finalising the framework, which will determine how the science centre network will evolve. There is an urgent need to consolidate the present science centres in South Africa, and to build new ones to cater for learners and adults in rural areas, and in the provinces that do not as yet have science centres, especially Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Last year South Africa was represented in the International Workshop on the Changing Role of Science Centres in Vietnam. The Vietnam Agreement resolved to strengthen the science centre network in developing countries. Nearly 600 000 people visit science centres in South Africa every year; about two thirds of whom are learners. This year, the DST will be running the annual National Science Week from 7 to 14 May. We will be launching it in Limpopo Province on the 4th of May, and provincial departments of education will play a major role in ensuring that as many learners as possible visit their nearby science centres.

Nomathemba Kontyo of Khayelitsha is a living example of the contribution that science centres can make towards the development of our children. In mid 2003, The MTN Sciencentre distributed entry forms for a NASA competition called 'Red Rover Goes to Mars' to school groups visiting the centre. This competition was part of a worldwide initiative by NASA to engage school learners in the (then) forthcoming Mars Mission.

Nomathemba visited the MTN Sciencentre on a sponsored visit with Fezeka High School, and collected one of the entry forms. She submitted an essay, which was short listed as one of the best entries. She subsequently won the Africa section of the worldwide competition, and one of her prizes was the invitation to visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the USA in February 2004 to witness the Mars landing from Mission Control.

This development in her life has since launched her on a path to success as a future scientist. I think Nomathemba's story is a classical example of the way in which science centres can transform the lives of young people from historically disadvantaged communities. In many cases, science centres are their first real contact with the world of science. Science centres stimulate curiosity, develop enquiring minds, and expose children and adults to new experiences. They also help people to cope with a rapidly changing technological environment. Science centres complement the school curriculum, train science multipliers (teachers, teacher trainers and parents), and empower people by increasing their skills and their understanding of science, mathematics and technology. They focus on a changing future, rather than an unchanging past, and promote a culture of change. They stimulate our senses, minds, spirits and emotions, and make us more aware of the world around us, and how we can contribute to it. They celebrate the human adventure, and encourage us to take part in it. Science centres also stimulate ordinary people to debate issues, to question the status quo, and to develop enquiring minds.

These are just some of many achievements of the science and technology community associated with the DST over the past year. Such is our scientific and technological momentum, that I am confident that the next period will lead us to even greater accomplishments.

Honourable Members, science teaches us to question everything, to interrogate things until we find their essence; to recognise that accepted reality may be wrong. This reminds me of the story of the 1930s Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Isidor Isaac Rabi, who was asked what he attributed his success to. “Every day when I came home from school, my mother would ask me one question”, he replied. “The question was, ‘Did you ask any good questions today Isaac?’” I think there’s a lesson in that for all of us. Let’s all think of the good questions to ask, and make sure we ask them, every day.

May I, in closing, thank Deputy Minister, Derek Hanekom, for the wonderful team spirit we have been able to forge in the last year of working together in the Ministry.

My thanks also go to the Director General of Science and Technology, Rob Adam, and the entire hard working troupe of officials in my department for a job well done.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
7 April 2005

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