Chairperson, hon members, Ministers, Deputy Minister Hanekom, Deputy Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde, and stakeholders of the science and technology community, I'm pleased to welcome you all to this presentation of the Budget Vote of the Department of Science and Technology.
Those of you who have walked through our modest exhibition have been able to get some insight into some of the work that is being supported by the department. As you will have seen, we operate in a wide range of fields, from aerospace to paleoanthropology, stem cell research to nanotechnology, reviving African identity to understanding social change and advancing excellence in health and agriculture. We have also contributed to South Africa's first electric car, the Joule.
The science and technology sector is replete with examples of excellence and has immense potential to support South Africa in responding to a wide range of challenges, while also advancing us in innovation and technology- based business development. Chairperson, if the Speaker and Whips gave Ministers more time to speak in the Budget Vote debates, I would have been able to tell you about all these things. [Applause.]
The past financial year has been an active and very productive year for the department. We have participated in shaping government's agenda for growth and industrial development, while also acting on our intention to establish a robust and productive system of innovation.
Our primary mandate is the promotion of research and development. Government has supported this objective by ensuring that we have continued growth in research and development funding. As a country, our R16 billion investment in research and development grew to R18 billion in 2007. This is not yet the 1% of gross domestic product, GDP, that we want to achieve, but we are tantalisingly close at 0,93%. We believe that as government we need to aim for at least 1,5% of GDP by 2014 if we were to build on the progress achieved over the past six years.
Our 2002 National Research and Development Strategy and the 2007 10-year innovation plan remain the basis for our interventions. I have directed my department to develop an integrated research and development strategy document, drawing on these two important strategic policies. This will ensure that we have a coherent strategic framework and avoid a situation where at one point we referred to the 2002 document and at another to the 2007 document.
Members are aware that in our 10-year plan we focus on five priority areas, while also integrating those research areas elaborated on in the 2002 research and development strategy. In the past year, we have provided support to programmes that bolster research and innovation in biotechnology, hydrogen energy initiatives, advanced materials manufacturing and the Square Kilometre Array, among many others.
Our investment in research is directed at ensuring that we enhance and expand excellence in universities, science councils and industry. Four important objectives are being actively pursued: adequate human capital and significantly expanded research and development activity; socioeconomic development; enhanced innovation and international research collaboration.
Regarding human capital development, we believe that this area is key to our intention to build a sustainable platform for innovation. Our country needs thousands of talented and skilled researchers and technologists if we are to achieve the ambitious goals we have set for the sector. Investment in support for bursaries has grown every year since 2004. The allocation for 2010-2011 increased by R76 million from the 2009-10 allocation.
The value of awards has been negatively affected by inflation and, given the important need to ensure we attract and retain the most talented, we have decided to adjust our priorities and to allocate a further R52,7 million in the 2010 financial year to improve the value of grant holder-linked and freestanding bursaries. That deserves a round of applause. [Applause.]
We have also provided funding to improve our investment in academic and research staff and in research infrastructure. We will expand our Research Chairs Initiative by adding 20 new research chairs within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period. This initiative has allowed us to attract leading researchers and doctoral candidates and is a programme that I believe we need to expand well beyond the current planned 210 research chairs.
We are also working with the Department of Higher Education and Training to develop a plan and strategy to improve the qualifications profile of academics and researchers at our universities. Currently, approximately 37% of university academics have a doctoral degree. Such a degree is a fundamental prerequisite for a person to participate meaningfully in research as well as to supervise postgraduate students. We must therefore ensure that we improve the profile, in terms of qualifications, of our academics.
Hon members, our science councils and national facilities are all making an important contribution to the objective of training more senior researchers in our country. They train interns at master's and doctoral level. Along with universities they are making an immeasurable contribution to our ambitions. We need to ensure that we provide all these institutions with sufficient resources to continue to play a role in national development plans.
It is my intention to appoint a ministerial committee to review the national innovation system and to assess whether our systems and infrastructure are of a quality to support our implementation of our national research agenda. I intend to use the committee's report to develop a national science and technology infrastructure investment plan.
We will continue to invest in infrastructure, even as we develop a plan. An amount of R1,35 billion is provided in this financial year for research and equipment infrastructure. Of this, R538 million is allocated to the South African National Research and Education Network, SANReN, and the Centre for High Performance Computing.
Our expanding research mandate and activity will have to be supported by capable and efficient institutions that have the capacity and flexibility to identify talent and opportunity and to ensure sustained support to established researchers.
Over the past few years, the National Research Foundation, the NRF, has been assigned a wide range of mandates and strategic contracts by our department. I believe this may have distracted it from its core purpose of funding research, providing high-quality research facilities and promoting innovation.
I will direct the department and the NRF board to assess the impact of ring- fenced funding and contracts on the ability of the NRF to execute its core mandate. One area that I believe requires attention is that of developing black and women senior researchers. We will ask the NRF to advise us on steps to be taken to achieve higher levels of success in this regard. [Applause.] We will also work closely with the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC, and the Africa Institute of South Africa, AISA, to determine support interventions to give impetus to the humanities, the social sciences and the important study of Africa. Both councils are doing excellent work in these fields, and I'm committed to ensuring they enjoy full support from the Department of Science and Technology and from the Ministry. We must never neglect to ensure that our human and social sciences also enjoy attention and grow, particularly in supporting a society as involved in change as ours is.
Earlier this year, I signalled my intention to review the current location of the ratings system. I'm hopeful that the NRF and the Academy of Science for South Africa, ASSAF, will advise me on the most appropriate location for ensuring continued attention and reward for excellence in research and development. Raising a query about the location of the ratings system does not mean we wish to do away with it, but that we want to address the issue of whether it is best located in an institution that funds researchers and also rewards good researchers. It is just a peculiar link that we believe requires some attention.
I also believe that, given the challenge of transforming the sector in order to improve quality and to increase black and female researchers, we need to provide specific rewards for nurturing nontraditional researchers as well as for institutions that are working hard to establish a competent research profile. So, we will find ways of rewarding institutions both for nurturing this category that remains nontraditional, and for ensuring that universities that are publishing more, that are innovating, get the necessary support from government and don't miss the boat because they are not traditionally recognised as having competence in the research arena.
One of the neglected areas that I believe the department must pay attention to is the issue of collaborating more closely with the universities of technology. In the department we tend to be far more focused on the science than on the technology part of our mandate, and it is an area I think we must address. Our mandate of technology innovation and promotion means dedicated attention must be given to applied research institutions. Universities of technology do have close links with industry, and these may be very useful in securing increased access to innovative ideas and to the identification of programmes in industry that could benefit from direct government support.
We will be doing much more to ensure that we improve the links between that triple helix of universities, government and industry to make the strides we must in innovation. We have provided funding to improve our investment in academic and research staff and in research infrastructure. I believe I may be committing the terrible error of repeating myself, Deputy Minister.
Our expansion programme will devote increasing attention to ensuring co- ordinated government research support. Our government invests in research via several departments. Some of these departments control key national research facilities, eg the forensic laboratory, the Agricultural Research Council and many others. This department has to ensure that quality infrastructure and high-level skills are present in all national research facilities.
I intend to propose the establishment of an interministerial science and technology committee to ensure improved planning and resourcing. We will investigate the possibility of establishing appropriate oversight mechanisms with the assistance of the National Planning Commission. It cannot be that in our country we have a forensic laboratory that is not of a world-class standard. [Applause.] All our facilities must be world-class.
I believe science and technology have significant potential for assisting South Africa to resolve its most intractable socioeconomic problems and challenges. In fact, I believe socioeconomic problems are opportunities for innovators. One of our biggest challenges is poverty and its associated features of joblessness and community neglect.
In the 2009 Budget Speech, I indicated that traditional approaches to socioeconomic development can no longer suffice for our country. All of us have to recognise that future growth will depend on how well we exploit science, technology and innovation. We have worked with several partners on a number of pilot initiatives that are beginning to show promising results.
Our successful implementation of the Wireless Mesh Network in municipalities in the Northern Cape, in the John Taolo Gaetsewe Municipality, and in Limpopo, in the Sekhukhune region, indicates that we are on target to connect at least 450 schools and to create sustainable job opportunities for young entrepreneurs who will manage service provision.
The Department of Science and Technology also provides support to a number of technology-transfer initiatives that are directly addressing and targeting poverty. These are directed at providing innovative local technology solutions through the creation of small, medium and micro enterprises and through providing sustainable job-creation and wealth- creation opportunities.
Aquaculture is a noteworthy example. The Department of Science and Technology supported an aquaculture abalone-harvesting pilot project in Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape. This pilot has shown us that it is possible to utilise aquaculture to improve abalone production for commercial purposes.
The pilot project is going to draw the Northern Cape government, the private sector and ourselves into a R48,8 million capital investment project to develop an abalone farm with a production capacity of 120 tonnes, creating 120 full-time jobs and 25 part-time job opportunities. [Applause.]
A women-owned medium enterprise to produce abalone baskets for commercial production has also been created. Two abalone hatcheries will also be established to draw on intellectual property that emerged from Innovation Fund-supported research. The hatcheries will be built in the Northern Cape and in the Western Cape.
A number of other research-based business initiatives that draw on existing programmes will give rise to new enterprises and new jobs, exploiting opportunities derived from indigenous knowledge, from advanced manufacturing processes and chemicals development.
We are also making good progress in an innovative process for the production of low-cost titanium. Two patent applications have been filed on the primary process. Initial success in this research will be supported by the establishment and operational testing of a primary titanium plant in the 2011-12 financial year.
Our country has a comparative advantage in zircon. We supply 30% of the world's zircon in an unbeneficiated form. Our advanced materials initiative, in collaboration with the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa, Necsa, is developing a technology to add value, by producing nuclear-grade zirconium material. In its raw form, zircon sells at $800 per ton; when beneficiated, nuclear-grade zirconium sells at $2 300 per ton. An innovative plasma technology process has been developed, and three patents have been filed by our scientists. These are a few examples of our responsiveness to socioeconomic challenges. There are many more, but we don't have the speaking time.
The projects I referred to above have been initiated and nurtured by the Department of Science and Technology due to an inadequate infrastructure for innovation. Many of these promising initiatives will be handed over to the Technology Innovation Agency, TIA, for future funding.
The TIA's priority in the 2010-11 financial year will be to build a high- performance organisation from the merger of the seven entities. This year, TIA will focus on a number of strategic projects, particularly those that address social needs such as the HIV and TB pandemic, education challenges and rural development.
The TIA has begun to analyse its historical portfolio, starting with the information communication technology, ICT, and biotechnology initiatives already under way. The repositioning and restructuring of the current portfolio, they tell me, will take between 12 to 24 months. We believe that the existence of TIA is going to give rise to significant benefits for our economy through research that successfully results in commercial products. We will also soon gazette the regulations of the intellectual property rights from the Publicly Financed Research and Development Act, Act 51 of 2008. The Act should come into operation in June this year. We are planning to establish the National Intellectual Property Management Office, NIPMO, as well as to facilitate the setting up of offices of technology transfer at publicly funded institutions.
We have pursued innovation by also initiating ambitious global-scale initiatives. I'm pleased that in all our initiatives we provide for postgraduate development programmes and we also ensure that we promote local technology innovation.
Hon members, our strategies include a number of science focus areas that draw on our geographic advantage. These include astronomy ...
Hon Minister, your time has expired, but I will give you three minutes from your later slot.
I think, Chairperson, I should conclude by saying our most ambitious project is the grand challenge of trying to win the bid for building the world's largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array. We have completed the first phase of this telescope, building the first seven dishes, KAT-7. Four of the dishes are now operational and receiving information. Construction of the 80-dish MeerKAT will soon begin. If, in 2012, we are awarded the bid, we will build a large number of dish arrays of over 3 000 km in scope, which will be inclusive of eight African partner countries. This will be a significant development for South Africa. [Applause.]
Chairperson, thank you for giving me more time. I would like to conclude by thanking my colleague, Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, for his support and hard work. He is a fantastic colleague; we work together very well, and we haven't had a single Deputy Minister-Minister conflict. [Laughter.] In fact, I think we are succeeding to work well with our department, unlike my conflicts with hon Mike Ellis from time to time. [Laughter.]
I also wish to thank the director-general, Dr Phil Mjwara, for his hard work, and also his team of deputy directors-general. Of course I thank all my officials, the Minister's Office team, the board chairs and members of all the science councils, chief executive officers of the science councils, the hon members, led by Dr Ngcobo, who are in the portfolio committee, and my colleagues in Cabinet, who are always supporting the potential that science and technology has for contributing to innovation. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Thank you very much, Minister. I would just like to indicate that the time allocation is decided by the Chief Whips of all political parties and, unfortunately, the hon Ellis is one of those members who sit in the Chief Whips' Forum. [Laughter.]
Chairperson, on a point of order: When members from this side speak, and perhaps from that side as well, rather than just cutting them short when they reach their allocated time, could you indicate maybe 30 seconds before that they should wind up? We don't have clocks here to tell us how much time we have left.
Hon member, I think you are out of order. There is a clock that is given to the members when they are speaking, so they will be able to see how many minutes are left. That clock is given to the speaker only. Thank you.
Chairperson, hon Minister of Science and Technology, hon Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, hon Deputy Minister Mahlangu- Nkabinde, hon Minister Patel, any Ministers I might have overlooked, all protocol observed, hon Members of Parliament, the leaders of science councils and their delegations, the Director-General of Science and Technology, Dr Mjwara, and his delegation, sons of the soil, flowers of the nation, people of integrity.
On 10 March 2010 a delegation from the Department of Science and Technology led by the Acting Director-General of International Co-operation and Resources, Dr Auf der Heyde, acting on behalf of the Director-General Dr Mjwara, appeared before our portfolio committee to present the department's corporate strategy, representing strategic performance plans for 2010 to 2013.
Part of the oversight task of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology is to specifically evaluate elements of the strategic and annual performance plans as presented by the department. Among elements to be evaluated, the portfolio committee has to consider whether: the vision refers to the desired outcomes; the mission clearly state the department's core services and delivery priorities; the mission describes how the department is organised to deliver these services; the mission statement includes a statement relating to the quality of service delivery; there are clear guidelines for how individuals in the department should treat one another and the community.
It is needless to reinvent the entire checklist for evaluation, such as situational analysis, strategic goals and objectives, measurable objectives, performance measures and targets, etc, Due to time constraints, It is probably sufficient at this juncture to summarise the overall evaluation as expected of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology. Firstly, whether there is a clear link between the strategic performance plan and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, as well as the existence of budget lines reflecting the actual delivery targets in the strategic performance plan; secondly, whether there are clear links between the annual performance plans and the budget for the year; and thirdly, whether the strategic plans and annual performance plan targets are costed properly and accurately in the time budget.
There are many such things that you have to look into when you analyse the budget. I will not go into the detail of analysing what is supposed to be done, but that is what our committee has done.
In response to the above-mentioned requirements, the portfolio committee was satisfied that the corporate strategy seemed to align with the Medium- Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, the 10-year innovation plan of 2007, as well as with the National Research and Development Strategy of the ANC-led Cabinet of 2002. The vision and mission statements were also found to be in line with the expected delivery targets of the department.
Following this evaluation, our portfolio committee was unanimous in accepting the department's plans, except for one area where the portfolio committee felt that very little co-ordination seemed visible. This was as far as the indigenous knowledge systems strategy was concerned. Many well- informed and interested groupings are working in silos in this area. For this reason the portfolio committee will be working hard to co-ordinate a kind of a national workshop on indigenous knowledge systems, IKS, to effect a productive outcome in this unco-ordinated but highly strategic effort. In fact, nationally we have the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office, Nikso, under the Department of Science and Technology. On the continent we have the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office, which is planning to host the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems Conference at the Park Hyatt in Rosebank in Johannesburg from 2 to 3 June.
There is another working group at the University of the Western Cape, known as the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Project Team, led by Prof Meshach Ogunniyi from the Department of Science and Mathematics Education, which has great interest in the indigenous knowledge systems. Another grouping is working from North West University, while yet another, focusing on medicinal indigenous knowledge systems, is located at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Faculty of Medicine. It is led by Prof Gqaleni, who is also the dean of the faculty there.
Indigenous knowledge systems play a significant role in advancing scientific research in the African context, especially for our SADC region of countries; in the promotion and strengthening of African humanity, ubuntu, as a vehicle for moral regeneration; in the promotion and enhancement of African indigenous games; in the promotion and protection of cultural and linguistic diversity; in addressing climate change adaptation; in the promotion of rural development; in the promotion and commercialisation of indigenous food products at global level, etc. Another of the many challenges facing the department is the development of human capital in science and technology, with particular emphasis on youth development. Of course, this can only be realised if there is a change in the way we do things. The lack of technical resources and of technology and innovation management skills in the majority of public schools, at basic education level up to high school level, suggests that we still have a long way to go to get to the level that the Asian Tiger economies have attained.
Our answer to this challenge is to start doing unusual things, such as implementing one of our Polokwane policy recommendations relating to the establishment of the Innovation Management Framework. The framework's main component for success is the proper analysis of population numbers and the growth rate, coupled with the number of pupils finishing high school and entering tertiary levels of education, and those finishing their junior degrees and moving into the economy and into research.
It should not be forgotten that the bulk of our population, especially from historically disadvantaged communities, are in professions that are no more than accidents of history, stemming from the legacy of apartheid. Many people had no access to career guidance as a preparatory tool and now they are what they are, not because it was planned either by state institutions or their parents, but just because it happened to be like that; an accident of history. It is important for an organised society to provide organised information so that career decisions are made based on career guidance. Thanks to our ANC-led government, it is now a mandatory requirement for any pupil at Grade 10 level to be given career guidance, although this is still a slippery path with various challenges. One important redress made by the Department of Science and Technology to the above-mentioned challenges was the PhD project.
Last week, on Thursday, I was invited by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to give the keynote address at the graduation of students in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. One of the points I raised as encouragement to the graduates - and this was well received by the leadership of the university - was the department's PhD project initiative and the financial incentives associated with it. These incentives are meant to help those students from disadvantaged backgrounds to have some means of supporting their families while they pursue their research. This is a very important and strategic contribution by the department to support research, particularly for those from historically disadvantaged communities. [Applause.]
Of course, the co-ordination of this effort lies with the Departments of Higher Education and Training and of Basic Education. So, the department alone cannot make this project succeed. It needs the support of the departments that are directly involved in education.
With regard to science and technology in a global context, at the core of the concept of globalisation lies the reality of the unrestricted flow of capital across markets and national borders.
In the African context, and in line with the philosophy of the African renaissance, our challenge is to lead the African continent into becoming an economically competitive regional force. We would do so by using our better developed science and technology infrastructure to provide essential services ranging from electricity, agriculture, communications, education and other products of the human mind.
Science and technology is indeed a crucial instrument in all forms of human endeavour in this regard. As the ANC-led government it is part of our accepted international obligations to advocate the eradication of global poverty and the marginalisation of developing countries. These countries form two-thirds of the world community, yet they are condemned to backwardness, superstition and disease by the so-called modern society. Therefore the nomination of our department, on behalf of the ANC-led government, to lead the science and technology wing of the Non-Aligned Movement could not have come at a better time for this goal to be achieved by South Africa. I thought this would be applauded. [Applause.] You don't appreciate our department's leading role in science and technology in the Non-Aligned Movement?
Our government has provided superior leadership in the procedures of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad, and the African Union, AU. Similarly, we hope this new role in the Non-Aligned Movement will also advance positive development in our region and, indeed, on our continent.
Scarce skills and technologies are one of the most important issues which we have to pay attention to. As the Minister has already mentioned, nanotechnology is an important new scientific discipline, which addresses the way we live at the molecular level. We have nanomachines, which are at our level if you want to develop them into what can be useful, and replicators, which are used when you are presenting the crystals of nanomachines into three-dimensional levels of operation. Nanotechnology is going to be a very important discipline in the future and it is important that the department has already developed programmes in this field. We commend the department for this initiative.
The other important technology is fuel cell technology. It depends mostly on platinum as a catalyst to work and it is an important future energy alternative for industrialised countries. We are the second biggest, if not the biggest, exporter of platinum in the world. Therefore, if this technology succeeds, we would stand a better chance in good markets.
With regard to space science, as the Minister was saying, we have the Square Kilometre Array, based on radio astronomy. Radio astronomy is another of the important disciplines that our children and our human resource capital investment should focus on. We have the Sumbandila satellite that was launched. We need people to manage that satellite and to keep improving it.
The President was recently in Brazil, where they struck a deal on a joint venture in satellite development. Therefore, astrophysics, radio astronomy and optical astronomy are indeed very important when we consider the development of the human capital of our children in the field of science and technology.
Regarding nuclear science and engineering, very important systems are being developed based on what is known as "accelerator-driven systems". These are systems that would be addressing the problems of nuclear waste, which is at the heart of an international challenge. Basically, very heavy nuclide oxides would be changed into fashionable material and made to be short- lived rather than long-lived. Thank you very much. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon colleagues, South African science is awash with talent. Our scientists are at the forefront of addressing our immense developmental challenges, from delivering potable water to developing disease- and drought-resistant crops, medicines and leading-edge technology that creates new industries. I believe that if our scientists were more widely acknowledged and their work made more accessible, the majority of South Africans would not struggle to understand the value that science and technology delivers to their doorsteps.
Kofi Annan, African statesman and former UN Secretary-General, said: "While technology shapes the future, it is the people who shape technology and decide what it should be used for."
Let us not forget that it is individuals, often working in robust teams, who transform good ideas into scientific achievements. South Africa has produced individuals whose endeavours have won that highest accolade for science, the Nobel Prize. They don't enjoy the same public recognition as our writers and peacemakers, but their achievements have had an impact on millions of lives worldwide.
Let's briefly acknowledge our Nobel scientists. In 1951, nine years before Albert Luthuli won the Nobel Peace Prize, Max Theiler won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing the vaccine against yellow fever. Next was Allan Cormack, in 1979, for his work in co-inventing the Computerised Axial Tomography, CAT, scanner. Three years later, in 1982, Aaron Klug won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work in molecular biology. And lastly, in 2002, Sydney Brenner shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work in genetic analysis.
Klug, Brenner and Cormack have also won the Gold Order of Mapungubwe, South Africa's highest award for citizens who have excelled. Another South African scientist to receive this award is physicist Sir Basil Schonland, the founding president of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR.
Other South African scientists have been awarded different categories of the Order of Mapungubwe, and we commend the Presidency for acknowledging the importance of their achievements.
South African science needs these ambassadors, particularly in the fields where we can play a leading role on international science platforms; for example, astronomy, global change, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and drug and vaccine development.
Astronomy has been the recent trailblazer here. An exceptional example was set by young astronomers Kevin Govender, Thebe Medupe and Dr Enrico Oliver, who used the International Year of Astronomy last year to inspire our nation's youngsters to become astronomers.
Once we have inspired our individuals to become scientists, we must be careful that our institutions and bureaucratic attitudes do not push our investment in scientific talent to other countries. We need to appreciate that scientists flourish when they work in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and rigorous debate.
Two weeks ago, the Academy for Science in South Africa warned of three more threats to academic freedom: the intrusive effect of government regulations, the excessive influence of private-sector sponsorship of universities and the limitations of freedom of speech within universities.
When the National Research Foundation, NRF, instituted its now failed disciplinary hearing against the astronomer Professor Phil Charles, the nation's scientific organisations issued statements warning of our national scientific facilities falling victim to totalitarian control and of a bureaucratic blunder that jeopardised our standing in the international science community.
I believe one of the main impediments our scientific community faces is political meddling. In many cases, the stumbling block to delivering the benefits of science to the majority of South Africans is the bureaucratic cadre class in all spheres of government and in our institutions.
One of South Africa's top scientists in local government is battling to decide whether to leave the land of his birth to join an international foundation where he will be responsible for delivering to the developing world what he struggles to deliver at home. Having his managers undermined by cadres with political agendas is part of the daily grind.
Is it poor communication or just disinterest that sees many scientific developments, for instance in drought- and disease-resistant crops, fail to reach emerging farmers? It's more likely to be the widespread inertia of the Department of Agriculture's extension services.
Breakthroughs in genetically modified crops are rejected more through misunderstanding of technicalities and mandates, instead of an appreciation of the scientific rigour with which they were developed. The developers of Spunta G2, our moth-resistant potato, are appealing its rejection by the Executive Council for Genetically Modified Organisms because of these misunderstandings.
If our bureaucracy fails to recognise the value of our scientific breakthroughs, it will be South Africa's loss. Many countries in Africa and the developing world are snapping up our inventions and scientific expertise, particularly in the fields of medicine and agriculture.
The scientific entities under the department's control are not without their bureaucratic or ham-fisted impediments to a contented and productive scientific community. I mentioned earlier the NRF's action against Professor Charles, of which the international fallout still needs to be resolved.
I've asked the Minister to initiate an impartial enquiry, headed by an international scientist, to review the NRF's operations and suggest remedies to ensure it operates according to international best practice. This is essential if you want to clear the air and attract top-class scientists to work on South Africa's best scientific platforms, such as the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, and to assure them that they will be treated rationally and with respect.
The NRF's action was indicative of its seeming lack of understanding of the environment in which it serves. Last year, it changed the system of funding research in a manner referred to by an eminent scientist as a "crashing of gears". It brought many projects to an abrupt halt, illustrating a lack of understanding of how research programmes work. It blames the department's funding cut for this.
The NRF's academic rating system research funding model is under review. Let's hope this ushers in a more productive system. The department's ambitious plans demand nothing less. Getting the funding of research right is critical to what I believe are the true fundamentals for South Africa to succeed as an innovative nation: developing scientists with the appropriate knowledge to focus on our opportunities, and an investment in the right instruments and infrastructure with which to do their research. Get these fundamentals right and innovations will follow.
We welcome the Minister's announcement to focus investment in these areas. I believe the Department of Science and Technology needs to fine-tune its five grand challenges to ensure that programmes are still relevant, affordable and can realistically be achieved by its 2018 deadline.
Are we attracting enough undergraduates to study the subjects needed for research that will make South Africa a global leader in biotechnology by 2018, or to become oceanographers to work on the new southern ocean research vessel due for delivery in 2012?
We want to be a leader in pharmaceuticals, but the Academy of Science's recent review says the necessary activity and capacity of clinical research in South Africa has drastically declined and is in urgent need of revitalisation.
We must prioritise our science spend to ensure that the NRF has the money it needs to attain its target of 6 000 Doctors of Philosophy, PhDs, a year by 2025. There must be no excuses such as a lack of funds. Cut the millions of rands government spends on frivolity and invest in the nation's knowledge resource base. We will soon be asked to buy new scientific equipment and to improve the infrastructure at our research facilities. This must be done, perhaps with the help of innovative financing and tax breaks.
The private sector must also take up government's incentives to increase its investment in research and development. Let me say that the Department of Science and Technology stands head and shoulders above other government departments in the way it manages its programmes and spends taxpayers' money. Its governance processes are role models for other departments. Perhaps this management efficiency should encourage Cabinet to consider placing the dysfunctional Medical and Agricultural Research Councils under science and technology's care.
There is tough competition for our science funds. A recurring debate is whether South Africa should invest in big science projects such as the SKA. I believe the discussion should differentiate between "big science" and "big ego" projects.
South Africa is spoilt for choice when it comes to what we can achieve. But we must focus our "big science" spend on fields where we can exploit our geographic uniqueness to play a leading role in international science projects. Our scientific investments must use the wide open sky above our arid regions to explore the beginning of time. We must use our proximity to three oceans to play a leading role in the science of global change. Our mineral wealth and resulting beneficiation development must continue to lead the world. We don't need to spend our science funds on "big ego" investments that have little to do with breaking new scientific ground, no matter how politically expedient. Government science spend must invest in fundamental research, not risk taxpayers' money in the commercialisation of proven technology, particularly if that technology is available fairly cheaply and there is plenty of it worldwide.
Government must develop policies that guide skills development, research and innovation in pursuit of its national vision. It must provide an enabling environment for our scientists and innovative entrepreneurs to stretch their imaginations to solve the problems we see around us and usher in the open opportunity society. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister and invited guests, it is important that the department views itself as being at the forefront of the delivery process. South Africa needs to view itself as if it were in a war situation, with very tight timeframes for delivery. Researchers in Africa produce less than two percent of the world's total scholarly scientific publications. South Africa and Egypt, between them, produce half of these. On a slightly brighter side, 88% of scientific activity in Africa is concentrated in South Africa.
It is clear that we are lagging behind the rest of the world in science, technology and innovation. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it is absolutely necessary to accelerate the pace of development in science and technology.
In order for there to be faster development, it is necessary to constantly monitor and evaluate various components of our significant enterprises. As the cost of research rises, it is important to make intelligent allocation of resources to get the best results for economic growth and sustainable development.
To us as Cope it is clear that we need an effective programme of evaluation to make three assessments: Which initiatives have been successful? Which initiatives need improvement? Which initiatives need to be discarded?
Moreover, programme evaluation must help to shift our focus from resources, activities and output to actual achievements. Surely, on a yearly basis, Parliament should have a list of achievements. We need to know whether the priorities the department has set are being achieved or not.
With regard to research, development and innovation, this year an amount of R1,284 billion is to be spent on research, development and innovation. However, on page 681 of the Estimates of National Expenditure, the department is unbelievably presenting a scenario that is allocated two years backwards. It is projecting expenditure on research and development for 2008 when we are already in 2010. This doesn't say much for the Department of Science and Technology.
As far as MeerKAT and the Square Kilometre Array are Cope supports continued investment in space science, and in MeerKAT, the 80-dish Karoo Array Telescope that will be a forerunner to the Square Kilometre Array telescope. Will the required seven dishes be set up in two years' time?
A more serious issue regarding this project was the suspension of Professor Phil Charles. It seems to have set South Africa back in the race. Will the Minister please inform the House what the suspension was about? Will the Minister also tell the House whether there are any serious tensions between scientists and administrators at the National Research Foundation? Our country is hotly competing with Australia to host the R20 billion SKA radio telescopes; therefore, we cannot afford power struggles.
With regard to hydrogen and energy, will South Africa have hybrid transport technology ready for roll-out by next year? What exactly are we as a nation being promised in this regard? Also, why is South Africa not moving towards the use of compressed natural gases for use by vehicles in all our cities, as this is now a proven technology? Two years ago, there was also a great buzz about an electrical car. What has happened to this project? South Africa needs a really compelling story of achievement in respect of biotechnology and health. In the Cape we have an entire floral kingdom, one of six in the world. Cope believes that South Africa needs to know about performance, products and direct economic inputs into the economy.
South Africa has always had a high profile in the diamond industry. Scientists are working to make diamonds replace silicon as the preferred choice in electronics, because diamonds demonstrate greater heat resistance and incredible hardness. Electronics, appliances and automobiles will be using diamonds in their manufacturing in future. Cope strongly recommends that we prioritise the use of diamond dust and particles from natural diamonds.
This year, the budget has allocated R135 million to develop good relations with various countries of the world. This needs to be unpacked so that we also understand what has been achieved in the past 16 years. Cope supports this item of the budget.
In conclusion, this year R1,748 billion is being set aside to support science, engineering and technology. The National Research Foundation has backed a number of postgraduate students. Perhaps it is now time to evaluate what benefits have flowed into South Africa from the investment made by the state.
Our economy is in trouble. Our rate of unemployment is one of the highest in the world, at about 40%. Therefore, science and technology has to come to the rescue, quickly and visibly. It must leave aside promises and start to produce products and results. I thank you.
Chairperson, may I start with a bit of praise. I really think the department deserves some because this is a department with leadership, vision and dedicated staff. It is also one of the few government departments that manages to achieve an unqualified audit, which is laudable. I must say this is a department that continues to surprise us all with the number of projects it is involved in - very exciting projects, colleagues. For those of you who are not members of the committee, it is worth your while to see what they are doing. It is really good stuff.
Having said that, I do have some concerns. Maybe I should start by reiterating the IFP's view that the country's expenditure on research and development, R&D, is too low and needs to be doubled from 1% to 2%. Last year, the hon Minister agreed with this sentiment but the reality is that nothing seems to have happened in the interim. When we engaged with the department about the budget, we were told this was merely an aspiration, not a decision.
Frankly, Minister, this is not good enough. For example, even today you referred to a 1,5% increase not as a decision of government but a wish. In our view, if innovation is going to be central to the economy, you have to spend on R&D. Could we ask you that if we're going to have an increase of 1,5%, it should not be a wish but a decision of Cabinet?
Last week, for example, the Academy of Sciences of South Africa also requested that the expenditure be doubled. That's great, but if you look at the budget of this department, the medium-term expenditure trend for R&D in fact declines with 50% over the next two years. The reason is that the department is winding down spending on the SKA and because other departments are also lead departments for spending. Nonetheless, it sends the wrong signal. In our view, what should have happened is that the level of expenditure should have been maintained to fund new projects, rather than cutting expenditure down. It is not healthy when you reduce R&D by 50%, but it is happening.
The second issue is the country's human resource capacity initiatives. I think it's time for the department to complete its SET Human Capacity Development Strategy. The Minister spoke a lot about human resource development and we applaud what the department is doing. The additional R52 billion on 76 basic lines for bursaries for students is great. Much of what the department is doing in response to the challenges of human resource constraints is to be applauded.
However, the reality is that it's time the department concluded its SET Human Capacity Development Strategy. Two years ago, the department was talking about it. Last year, when the committee engaged with the department, they said they would be ready within a month or two. This year, when we engaged with the department, they said their medium-term target date is 2013. That is not acceptable. In our view, this is an urgent issue and it needs to be attended to as a priority. It's an immediate priority now, not for 2013.
The third issue I would like to make reference to is what appears to be delays in or the slow implementation of operationalising certain entities within the DST family. Let me make reference to the Telecommunications Industry Association, for example, which the Minister spoke about. Now, this House processed the founding legislation over two years ago. Yet the department's medium-term output date for full operationalisation is March 2013. This is four and a half years after the President signed off legislation that gave effect to this body. That is simply too long and we really have to make all sorts of efforts to fast-track this.
TIA is not an ordinary, nondescript entity. It is a key institution that is being established to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialisation. It is a very important initiative and we must get it running as soon as possible. To take four-and-a-half years for its inception and to get it fully up and running is too long.
We have another concern related to TIA - an issue that is being raised by TIA itself and by some of the migrating entities; the seven that the Minister referred to. This relates to the fact that all organs of state are compelled to comply with the Public Finance Management Act. However, the PMFA has certain conditions that are not applicable to TIA because institutions of that kind are impartial, risk-taking enterprises.
The risk-taking nature of structures like TIA does not sit well with the PFMA. The threat is that if the PFMA is rigidly implemented in regard to TIA, it will hamper the TIA's mandate. The question we are asking is, since this is well known to everybody, and has been for some time, why has it not been sorted out yet? What has been done between the department and Treasury to either make an exemption for TIA or to draft the rules in such a way that they won't hamper its mandate?
In conclusion, there is much about this department that we are very happy with and we don't have the time to state all the problems, but well done. We will support the Budget Vote. Thank you.
Chairperson, hon Minister of Science and Technology, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, comrades and fellow South Africans, the first black President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, said, and I quote:
The young people of the world must be empowered to participate in the building of the information age. They must become citizens of the global information society. And we must create the best conditions for their participation.
It is in this context that my focus in this debate is on empowering the young people of this country, both male and female, who have been disadvantaged. We know that was deliberately done. That is why we are still seeing a gap between black African scientists and white scientists.
The ANC-led government saw the need for interventions to deal with that. I will quickly run through these interventions. I am aware that we are talking about science and technology. However, one cannot separate science and technology from education. It is in that context that the Department of Education, working together with the Department of Science and Technology, saw the need to create the Dinaledi schools. The ANC-led government is proud that there is an increase. At least we can see the value of this project.
Another project was the Youth Into Science Strategy. That project was launched to assist young people to identify and have an interest in careers around science and technology.
It is disappointing that the hon member of Cope, a member of that team, asked the department what has happened with the electric car. As we are standing here, it is outside. We have viewed it. [Applause.] For me, this is not about the hon member being mischievous but it displays the level at which black Africans in particular have been deprived of an understanding of the creation of knowledge and of issues of science, technology and mathematics. I am not blaming the hon member for that.
Other projects that have been developed by the ANC-led government - I don't know if you are aware of that and that it is still functioning - is the Public Understanding of Science, Engineering and Technology, a campaign that began in 1998. The objectives of that campaign were to promote science and technological literacy and to promote the power of knowledge, science and technology in human life.
At the ANC 52nd National Conference, a recommendation was tabled that the ANC should develop a comprehensive strategy on early childhood development. In the discussion on education, it was said that people must be encouraged to do mathematics, science and IT and that we must promote and support it by offering bursaries to students and teachers. Education is one of the five key priorities of the ANC Manifesto. In the state of the nation address, the President of the Republic, the hon Jacob Zuma, also said we must focus on education. Have we done enough? [Interjections.]
The people who are saying "no" are people who know very well that the challenges of education are structural and were created about 50 years ago. That is why the ANC-led government saw the need to develop all these interventions, like Education working together with departments like Science and Technology. I am of the view that Science and Technology cuts across each and every programme of this Parliament.
From here I can see young girls and I can tell you now that those girls don't have a foundation in science and technology. They don't have a foundation in mathematics. The recommendation made at the ANC 52nd National Conference was about developing a programme on early childhood development. My emphasis will be on early childhood development. Without that, we will stand here and lament and blame each other, but we know that white people had the privilege of their children being given a foundation in science and technology.
Here is a case in point. E.tv showed two young South African men who had developed a glider. It was clear that they started at a tender age. Their parents encouraged them to ensure that they had an interest. I don't know what they were doing when they were young, but there is an indication that their parents and maybe the school encouraged them to do whatever they wanted to do. Unfortunately, I left the newspaper clip from The Herald in