Chairperson, hon members, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, researchers and scientists, we are truly living in exciting times for science and technology in our country. It is an absolute hive of activity, with groundbreaking new initiatives in many areas.
In his Budget Speech earlier this year, Minister Gordhan identified investment in science and technology as an essential lever to achieve sustained economic growth. In partnership with science councils and institutions of higher learning, the Department of Science and Technology has shown how innovation can substantially benefit all the citizens of our country.
The DST's work is unique in many ways. We apply science and technology to address present challenges, but we also delve deeply into the past and look far into the future. Starting with the past, we must remind ourselves again that South Africa has some of the richest evidence of how plant and animal life evolved and how modern humans originated. In order to fully exploit this priceless heritage, and working closely with our palaeontologists and archaeologists, we developed a strategy for the palaeosciences, which was approved by Cabinet in February this year. The strategy is directed at building human capital, providing resource support and enabling legislation to collect, curate and research our invaluable palaeoscience treasures, and to increase public engagement on all aspects of this exciting field of scientific endeavour.
Implementation of the strategy has already begun: A new centre of excellence in Palaeontology will be established next year, and two new research chairs in the palaeosciences have been awarded. One is a carbon- dating facility at the University of Cape Town and the other is on the origin of modern humans, hosted by the Institute of Human Evolution at Wits University.
Last month, Minister Pandor unveiled the state-of-the-art palaeosciences microfocus computed tomography scanner, funded by the NRF. This scanner, the only one of its kind in Africa, can take noninvasive X-rays and provide high-resolution imaging of fossils, even if they are encased in millions of years of lime and stone deposits. This scanner will undoubtedly help to solve even more mysteries about the origins of humankind, adding to our country's growing reputation as an innovator in this field.
However, it is the science of astronomy that allows us to explore the much more distant past, going right back to where it all started. Our 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope, which will be operational in 2016, and, even more so, the Square Kilometre Array will tell us more about the origins of the universe, revealing some of the secrets we don't yet fully understand. Astronomers from all over the world are already lining up to use these facilities. In fact, many leading researchers have already joined us here in South Africa. The SKA will, after all, be one of the single biggest global science projects the world has ever seen.
Moving to the present, we are blessed with a country that has rich resources with immense possibilities. For us to take full advantage of these opportunities we need many more young people to follow science-based careers. The DST continues to employ science and maths Olympiads and competitions to identify and nurture talented young people. Hon Surty, the DST provided support to more than 13 000 Grade 10 to 12 learners from Dinaledi schools to participate in the 2011 National Science Olympiad.
South African learners continue to excel at international science competitions. At the 2011 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest science research competition for high schools, a special award was made to a South African learner who investigated how playing music could increase productivity in factories. [Applause.]
We are happy to report that South Africa successfully hosted the International Junior Science Olympiad in Durban, with 43 countries participating, in December 2011. In September the South African science centre community hosted the 6th Science Centre World Congress in Cape Town, which attracted delegates from over 50 countries, including no fewer than 17 African countries.
Our science centres, which we have every intention of expanding, help to create an awareness of and an interest in science. Almost all our centres offer career guidance and curriculum support programmes such as teacher workshops. The science centres also provide an opportunity for learners who do not have laboratories, especially at rural schools, to experience the excitement of practical science experiments while our mobile laboratories travel to schools far removed from the science centres.
The success of our science system is strongly dependent on improved performance at school level, as hon members well know. While technology alone will not provide all the answers, one of our challenges is to apply the available knowledge and technologies to support learning and teaching. With this in mind, the DST is working closely with the Department of Basic Education and the Eastern Cape department of education has started an initiative to look at how a range of technologies can be deployed to address education-related challenges in a rural context. The site chosen for this initiative is the Cofimvaba education district in the Eastern Cape, concentrating initially on the 26 schools in the Nciba area. A team from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has already conducted a comprehensive scoping exercise of these schools. The HSRC will be doing the important monitoring and evaluation work and will assist in guiding choices of interventions that offer the best solutions to achieve better educational outcomes.
Climate change is probably the single biggest threat facing humankind today and poor communities in Africa are particularly vulnerable to its effects. South Africa has made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This can be done but will require a decisive shift away from our current carbon- intensive, resource-based economy to a more resilient low-carbon, knowledge- based economy using clean, renewable sources of energy.
Our government's 20-year Integrated Resource Plan sets the target for renewable energy to make up 42% of all new power generation by 2030. We know that we have an abundance of renewable energy potential in our country. We have some of the best conditions for solar energy in the world and sufficient wind-energy potential to provide us with most of our energy needs. The DST has established research programmes based at various universities focusing on solar and wind energy, as well as on biofuels, so that we can use locally developed technologies to harness these resources. Two new research chairs have been established for biofuels research.
It is perhaps in the area of hydrogen and fuel-cell development where some of the most pioneering work is happening and this is potentially the clean fuel of the future. We can see promising beginnings of a shift towards a future hydrogen economy. A number of car manufacturers have announced plans to start producing hydrogen-operated vehicles. South Africa's telecommunications industry is already replacing its diesel generators, using hydrogen fuel cells for backup power.
Most hydrogen fuel cells - and this is very important - use catalysts made up of platinum group metals. South Africa has more than 75% of the world's known platinum reserves. This is a serious advantage and, together with the very capable researchers at our centres of competence, places us in a strong position to seize the opportunities offered by a future hydrogen economy.
This morning - and it's a pity all of you weren't there - we heard about progress in hydrogen fuel-cell development from Dr Olaf Conrad, a director at Hydrogen SA Catalysis, one of the Hydrogen SA centres of competence. HySA Catalysis is cohosted by the University of Cape Town and Mineral and Metallurgical Technology, or Mintek. Its goal is to provide 25% of the global catalyst demand for the hydrogen and fuel-cell market by 2020. This year they developed a very promising platinum-based catalyst for fuel cells and further tests are being carried out on this catalyst to benchmark it with those that are already commercially available.
Potential hydrogen fuel-cell components that are being developed by the HySA centres of competence can be used for portable power applications, to provide quieter and cleaner alternative sources of energy compared to diesel generators, and the combined heat and power application, can be used to supply power and heating for domestic and commercial use.
To ready ourselves for the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel-cell products, a South African company called Clean Energy has been established. It will initially market and eventually assemble and manufacture fuel cells. Secondly, an agreement is being finalised with a Norwegian partner for the commercialisation of a hydrogen storage material, which is already a HySA systems patent. HySA has also developed a power management system for portable power applications, in collaboration with a South African company called Hot Platinum.
A lot of this will be unfamiliar to many members, but I really urge you that we should create the opportunity one day to do a more comprehensive presentation to the portfolio committee. In this area - when we start talking about a future hydrogen economy - lies massive potential.
Another critical present-day challenge to which the DST has responded is ensuring that our entire population has access to clean drinking water. The lack of safe water has a profound impact on the health of our poor and vulnerable communities. Recognising this, we introduced a pilot project, which was launched jointly by me, the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Affairs, to provide clean drinking water in six remote rural villages in the Eastern Cape, where people were collecting water from polluted rivers and streams and from increasingly contaminated sources of water. The project comprises the installation of solar-powered water purification units, combined with ceramic water filters provided to households. The initiative was prompted by the realisation that although considerable progress has been made in water provision to rural communities, some villages are highly unlikely to get piped water in the immediate future because of their remote location.
Six task teams were trained by the HSRC in hygiene and health promotion, thus ensuring that improved hygiene practices accompanied the provision of clean water. A total of 1 775 households in these villages now have access to safe drinking water. [Applause.] Yes, thank you. This initiative has once again shown how even relatively simple innovative technologies can make a difference in the lives of the people.
The second phase of this project will be piloted in Mpumalanga and Limpopo and a baseline study has already been completed, revealing different challenges. Our experiences in diverse settings will play an invaluable role in shaping decision-making on providing relief to the millions who still require access to clean water. It is a pilot and we are looking at it very closely and monitoring it with the Department of Water Affairs to determine whether this could be a technological solution to those people who find themselves in these very remote areas, where the prospects of delivering piped water are remote - in the near future, at least.
We are also doing very important work to ensure that existing water supplies are clean. We are pleased to report that the CSIR has developed a new freshwater ecosystem atlas, which shows which rivers and wetlands need to be kept in a natural condition. The atlas content summarises the data and on-the-ground knowledge of the freshwater ecological community in South Africa, representing over 1 000 person years of collective experience. It contains 19 priority-area maps, one for each water management area in South Africa.
Food security is another area in which our department has been active. A recent good example of constructive collaboration between the public and private sectors is the framework agreement between the Nestl Research Centre and the CSIR, announced in March this year. This partnership is directed towards researching our indigenous rooibos plant. Julle het dit mos daar in die Noord-Kaap en in die Wes-Kaap. [You have it there in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape.] This will come not a minute too soon, given the fact that in recent decades food production has declined in sub- Saharan Africa. We are pleased to report that no fewer than seven of the 60 new research chairs will serve the areas of rural development, food security and land reform, bringing the total of such chairs to 10.
I am sure by now you will all agree that there is an unprecedented level of activity in the world of science and technology in our country. Now we are all eagerly awaiting the outcome of the SKA bid. If we secure this bid to host the most powerful radio telescope in the world, we will firmly cement our position as a major player on the world science and technology stage.
We would not have been able to make our mark without our dedicated scientists, many of whom are sitting up there, who continue to work diligently in their respective areas of expertise. Only last month the University of Cape Town's Prof Jill Farrant won a prestigious L'Oral- Unesco Award in Paris for her groundbreaking research into the development of drought-resistant crops. [Applause.] The University of KwaZulu-Natal's Dr Gita Ramjee recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 International Microbicides Conference in Australia. Dr Ramjee has done a great service to South African science through her tireless contribution in the field of Aids prevention. [Applause.] That is very good. On a truly sad note, I would like to pay tribute to the science journalist Christina Scott who died so tragically in October last year. The world of science is poorer because of this loss.
In conclusion, I must say it continues to be an enormous privilege to work under the dynamic and energetic leadership of Minister Pandor and with a committed department under the able leadership of Dr Phil Mjwara. We would also like to express our appreciation for the consistent support we receive from members of all parties in the portfolio committee under the leadership of the chairperson, the hon Ngcobo. [Applause.] No, you do not have to clap. [Laughter.] We truly look forward to sharing with you in greater detail some of the initiatives happening out there because we have time only to touch on some of the many things happening out there. [Applause.]