Africa is ready to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor reiterated at a briefing on Thursday. But the site selection was likely to be pushed out beyond April 4, which had been set down as the possible deadline for the allocation of a preferred site for the hosting of the radio telescope development.

Australia is also in the running to host the international science project.

It emerged that the final decision might be delayed as the members of the SKA Organisation consider inputs that could affect the decision. The recommendations of the independent SKA site advisory committee (SSCA) had been referred to the members of by the SKA board and would be central to their considerations.

South Africa and Australia emerged as the two remaining contestants for the project in 2006, after the international SKA steering committee identified the countries as the most suitable locations for the development.

In March, Australian media leaked that the $2.5-billion project was likely to be awarded to the South African-led consortium, following a scientific panel recommendation. But it had been reported subsequently that Australian politicians were engaged in a series of sometime aggressive lobbying efforts to salvage their bid.

Pandor pointed out that South Africa’s efforts had been recognised when the European Parliament recently adopted declaration No 45 on ‘Science capacity building Africa: strengthening European-Africa radio astronomy partnerships’.

Pandor refused to engage in a debate with her Australian counterpart, but was adamant that South Africa and its SKA partner countries had a proposition that was scientifically and technically superior, as well as cost competitive.

Asked what the Ministry is planning on doing with the infrastructure that was already put in place for the project, should South Africa lose the bid, Pandor answered: “Plan A is that Africa is ready to host the SKA project. Plan B is that Africa is ready to host the SKA project. The same goes for Plan C. We must emphasise that we are ready.”

The African bid to host the SKA is led by South Africa and includes eight partner countries, namely Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. Pandor also announced that the Angolan government committed itself to the project last week.

Should South Africa win the bid, it would result in the building and implementation of more than 3 000 satellite dishes built across the country and the rest of Africa. This will see an array of dishes with a total radio wave-receiving area of one square kilometer, which will be the world’s most powerful radio telescope built to date, as well as the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere.

She also reiterated the benefits the SKA project could hold for the continent. “Developing large-scale astronomy facilities such as the MeerKAT and the SKA can become powerful drivers of socioeconomic development in the region.

“Further, the main benefits will be in the area of human capital development, while telescope construction and infrastructure will generate construction employment in South Africa and the African partner countries,” Pandor added.

The project also has the potential of expanding the number of Africa’s scientists and technicians and will allow South African and Africa to play an increasingly important role in the global knowledge economy.

“Since 2005, 398 SKA postdoctoral fellowships, PhD, MSc and undergraduate bursaries have been awarded – 70 to Africans, outside of South Africa. To date R55-million has been spent on the human capital development programme. From 2012 to 2017 an additional R200-million plus will be spent.

“We are entirely committed to the success of the SKA and believe that it will be best achieved in Africa,” she concluded.