Issued by: Government Communication Information System
24 May 2002
The President
Madame Speaker
Ministers
Members of the Diplomatic Community
Director-General
Ladies and Gentlemen
I wish to start my speech with a poem. Kindly indulge me.
"I have come to take you home.
Remember the veld,
The lush green grass beneath the big oak trees?
The air is cool there and the sun doesn't burn.
I have made your bed at the foot of the hill,
Your blankets are covered in buchu and mint,
The proteas stand in yellow and white,
And the water in the stream chuckles singsongs
As it hobbles along over little stones.
I have come to wrench you away
Away from the poking eyes of the man-made monster
Who lives in the dark with his racist clutches of imperialism
Who dissects your body bit by bit
Who likens your soul to that of Satan
And declares himself the ultimate God!
I have come to take you home.
Where I will sing for you
For you have brought me peace"
This is an extract from a poem written in celebration of Sara Baartman by Diana Ferrus, a wonderful, compassionate woman I am privileged to have met.
Regrettably Diana Ferrus is not able to be with us today as she is attending a funeral in Worcester. The poem stands as a record in French legislative history since the translated verses are part of the enabling law that released Sara Baartman from her two centuries of captive humiliation.
There are others whose role in this homecoming must be recognised. In France we recognise Ms Anne-Sophie Parisot, personal assistant to Senator Nicolas About, who first saw this poem on a local website and brought it to the notice of the Senator; Senator Nicholas About, who sponsored the necessary Bill; the Minister of Research, Minister Roger-Gerard Schwatzenberg, who gave a very moving speech at the handing over ceremony affirming the right to human dignity. On the South African side we recognise both the former and present Ambassadors, Ambassador Barbara Masekela and Ambassador Skweyiya in facilitating the return of the remains and especially Ambassador Skweyiya who alerted us of the debate in the Senate; Professor Tobias for his effort and persistence; to the National Khoisan Consultative Conference for their guidance in this matter.
Madam Speaker, we are now preparing for the internment of Sara Baartman's remains and I am pleased to inform you that the consultation with key stakeholders such as the National Khoisan Consultative Conference is proceeding well. I am confident that the internment of Sara Baartman will be successful.
The return of Sara Baartman is about affirming our commitment to human rights, similarly the change of the old symbols and Orders to new ones affirm our history and help us build an inclusive nation in recognition of all our human rights. To this end, in the area of Heraldry we have made significant progress in the last seven years in defining who we are and what we stand for as a nation. As we all know, on Freedom Day this year the new National Orders were inaugurated - the order of Mapumgubwe, the Order of the Baobab, and the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Presidency for its guidance. We recognise the work of Gold Mametja in creating the design for the new National Orders.
Mr President, let me now turn my attention to the challenges that the Department is addressing in the area of cultural industries.
As the Minister pointed out, a skills development training strategy has been developed for the craft, film, design and music sectors together with the Department of Labour. Help us make this a success.
In the area of music the Legal Aid Board had discussions with the Music Union of South Africa (MUSA). It was agreed that Wits University (Law Clinic) will be used to launch this project in 2002. The Legal Aid Board has approved the budget for this project. A satellite office will be opened in Newtown cultural precinct very soon.
During the last financial year the Department has actively promoted the use of new knowledge in support of communities and groups that wish to develop craft and technology based businesses. Jobs have been created in the area of papermaking, wild silk production and craft industries to mention but three.
These industries are based on the use of renewable resources on a sustainable basis. They are intended to assist the participants to become independent entrepreneurs.
Design is as important in the technological process as it is in craft development. In this regard I am pleased to note the excellent collaboration that has emerged across Government Departments that are working together.
These are the Departments of Education, Water Affairs and Forestry, Minerals and Energy, and both the SABS and CSIR. The importance of design is now recognised through the annual South African Design Week. The Department is underwriting all these collaborative initiatives.
In the area of technology we have established technology stations.
TSHUMISANO, meaning partnership or co-operation has been chosen as a brand name for this programme. It provides support to South African Enterprises by facilitating access to the expertise and capacity of Technikons via the intermediary services of Technology Stations. It will strengthen and accelerate the Interaction between Technikons and SMME's. In a first round initiated in 1999, DACST selected four Technikons for the establishment of Technology Stations:
a) Technikon Pretoria in the field of electronics and electrical engineering, complemented by IT as imbedded in electronic processes and products
b) Technikon Free State, Bloemfontein, in Metals Value Adding, recently complemented by Product Development and Rapid Prototyping
c) Technikon North West, Garankuwa, in Chemicals
d) Mangosuthu Technikon, Durban, in Chemicals.
In a second round, DACST selected three more Technikons in February 2001:
a) Vaal Triangle Technikon Vanderbijl Park, in the field of Composites
b) Port Elizabeth Technikon in the field of Automotive Components
c) Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, in the field of Textiles and Clothing.
DACST has initiated another technology programme called Godisa by establishing technology incubators.
GODISA started funding programs in 2001. Currently there are 8 programs, four (4) of these are fully functional and the other four(4) are new centres which have just received their funds. All centres are at various stages of development. To give an example of the impact these programs will have on the South African community, we will use the Zenzele Technology Demonstration Centre (TDC), which is based at Mintek in Randburg.
The purpose of the TDC is to provide technical and research support to Small-Scale Mining Enterprises resulting in accelerated business growth, skills development and job creation. The Centre helps enterprises to compete successfully in their market. It is promoted by Mintek, who is also a signficant contributor, the Council for Geoscience, the Mineral and Energy Policy Centre, Miningtek, and the IDC.
In approximately 6 months that the centre has been in operation 35 initiatives have already been undertaken in the Gauteng, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and the Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces. These initiatives involve approximately 537 individual miners. 96 to 97 percent of these miners are black and 20-30 percent are women.
There has been very little proper assessment of the current contribution and future potential of women in science and technology in South Africa. However investigations of the authorship of scientific publications by South African women shows little progress over the last 10 years. Women, who are leaders in their fields, are positive and effective role models, but some domains remain dominantly male; in others there has, it seems, been some progress.
Or so we are told.
This domain needs positive attention, proper investigation and pro-active planning. We have therefore initiated the establishment of a reference group of leading women in science and technology to give positive impetus to initiatives to redress the persistent gender imbalances within our national system of innovation, which all too easily become the accepted norm. In the context of global and regional issues affecting women in science and technology, we will work to ensure strengthened contributions by women within the national system of innovation and address the levels of participation in maths and science by girls in our schools.
During the course of the current financial year the Department will allocate R50m to the first phase of the National Biotechnology strategy. This strategy is not intended to serve a narrow set of interests for a favoured few.
South Africa's biotechnology strategy has been strengthened with a public consultation process that has endorsed our own view: biotechnology has great potential to serve the needs of all South Africans. A study tour to Cuba in January and consideration of the strategies of countries such as Brazil, Malaysia and Nigeria reinforces this assessment.
Biotechnology - of all recent technological development -directly connects with the rich indigenous knowledge and extensive biological resources of our sub-continent. This creates opportunities to reduce the burden of disease, improve food security and establish industries that will generate new wealth for our country.
I thank you.