Agb Huisvoorsitter, agb Ministers, agb Adjunkministers, agb lede van die Parlement van Suid-Afrika, dames en here, die ANC glo dat wetenskap, tegnologie en innovering 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 innovering, nuwe idees en tegnologie.
Die datum 25 Mei 2012 was nie maar net nog 'n dag in die kalender van Afrika en, in die besonder, Suid-Afrika nie. Dit was die dag waarop nege jaar se harde werk beloon is, toe die Vierkante Kilometer Reeks-organisasie aangekondig het dat Suid-Afrika deur konsensus gekies is om die SKA op te rig. Hierdie projek is in die Noord-Kaap gele, in 'n dorpie met die naam 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 drasties die hoogte ingeskiet, 'n rekenaarlokaal is by die horskool 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 werkgeleenthede 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 oor wie 'n mens baie opgewonde kan raak. Sestien studente - vier vroue en 12 mans - van Carnarvon, Williston en Van Wyksvlei het in April 2012 met tersire opleiding in Kimberley begin. Hulle is besig met tegniese kwalifikasies wat hulle in staat sal stel 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 h en moet elke projek vir ons probleme inhou. Een van die vrae wat ek onder die omstandighede nooit kon beantwoord en geleentheid kon kry om te beantwoord nie, is: die projek is daar - goed en wel - maar wat betref die ontwikkeling wat tans op die projek plaasvind, sal dit dan wees dat die gastehuise net daar is - ons weet die wetenskaplikes werk ongereelde ure - of sal dit beteken dat meer ontwikkeling op die projek self sal plaasvind, of sal die ontwikkeling meestal in Carnarvon plaasvind?
Ons sal nie werklike waarde aan die projek kan heg sonder om ons vorige Minister, Naledi Pandor, geluk te wens met alles en met die deursettingsvermo wat sy aan die dag gel 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.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs H LINE-HENDRIKS: Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members of the Parliament of South Africa, ladies and gentlemen, the ANC believes that science, technology and innovation are very important and central to finding workable and acceptable solutions to socioeconomic challenges within South African communities. Therefore, they need to be promoted by means of more investments and the funding of innovation, new ideas and technology.
The date 25 May 2012 wasn't just another day on the calendar of Africa, and specifically South Africa. It was the day on which the hard work of nine years was rewarded, when the Square Kilometre Array organisation announced that South Africa was selected through consensus to install the SKA. This project is situated in the Northern Cape, in a town called Carnarvon. It is a very small town with few economic opportunities and limited opportunities for progress.
The installation of the SKA in this area has, however, already led to the history of this small town being rewritten. The local hospital has already been upgraded, more businesses have opened, especially guest houses, the price of property has skyrocketed, a computer centre has been installed at the high school and 20 new computers have already been delivered. Within the next 60 days the IT community centre in Bonteheuwel, in conjunction with the Kareeberg Municipality, will be ready for use.
The local community also benefits in other ways. About 900 job opportunities have been established to assist with the establishment of infrastructure and other activities on the site. These opportunities also resulted in development courses for the local community. Some of the contractors offered a wide variety of courses. The local teachers also received training in computer skills.
Our local youth gives one reason to be very excited. Sixteen students - four ladies and 12 men - from Carnarvon, Williston and Van Wyksvlei started their tertiary education in Kimberley in April 2012. They are busy with their technical qualifications, which will enable them to work on the project later. The pre-graduate SKA-bursary students also reach out annually to learners at local schools to introduce them to career opportunities which are linked to the SKA project.
Being human, we always have our problems, and every project has its own problems. One of the questions which I, under the circumstances, could never answer and have not had the opportunity to answer is: the project exists - that's all very well - but with regard to the development which is currently taking place on the project, will it be that the guest houses will only be there - we know that scientists work irregular hours - or will it mean that more development will take place on the project itself, or will the development largely take place in Carnarvon?
We will not be able to rate the proper value of this project without congratulating the previous Minister, Naledi Pandor, for everything and for the perseverance she showed. She really gave meaning to the saying that a woman can hold her own in difficult circumstances and assure success. [Applause.]]
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 outcome 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 avert 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. Ons moet regtig erkenning gee aan die ANC-regering. Die regering is doelgerig en wil graag verseker dat wetenskap, tegnologie en innovering soos 'n hand in 'n handskoen pas om vooruitgang te verseker.
Ek wil graag die personeel in die ministerie bedank vir hul beskikbaarheid en hulpvaardigheid wanneer hulle nodig gekry is. Ek moet egter ook my familie bedank, want om Afrikaanssprekend te wees en om Afrikaans te kan praat, is goed, maar om dit 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.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[We really need to acknowledge the ANC government. The government is resolute and wants to assure that science, technology and innovation fits like a hand in a glove to enable progress.
I would like to thank the staff in the Ministry for being available and supportive when they were needed. I also need to thank my family, because to have Afrikaans as my mother tongue and to speak Afrikaans is fine, but to write it is a different issue. [Interjections.] My daughter is in matric and she was my dictionary. My husband was the specialist with regard to the content. Thank you. [Applause.]