Mhlalingaphambili obekekileyo, uMphathiswa obekekileyo uPandor nesekela lakhe, aBaphathiswa namasekela akhoyo, amalungu ekomiti yenzululwazi nobuchwepheshe, iindwendwe ezibekekileyo ezikhoyo apha, aMalungu eNdlu yoWiso-mthetho abekekileyo, xa ndimi apha kuthi mandikhahlele ndithi: Yinkunzi abayikhuz' ukuhlaba ingekahlabi; amaqobokazana angalal' endleleni yazini kunyembelekile. [Uwelewele.]
Yiyo loo nto simi apha namhlanje sizokuthi siyabulela kubantu boMzantsi Afrika ngokuthi kwakhona banike lo mbutho wesizwe uxanduxa lokuba utshintshe ubomi babo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M L DUNJWA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Pandor and her deputy, Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, members of the Committee on Science and Technology, distinguished guests present, hon Members of the National Assembly, as I'm standing here, I feel like saluting and say: You are the most powerful of them all. Well done on the sterling job you are doing. [Interjections.]
That is why we are here today to thank the people of South Africa for again giving the people's party, the ANC, the responsibility to change their lives.]
Let me begin by saying that we, in the ANC-led government, recognise the capacity of science and technology to transform the quality of human life. We also understand the scale of poverty in South Africa today and how high levels of unemployment undermine the government's policy, which aims at greater equality, poverty reduction and the development of disadvantaged communities, particularly those in rural areas.
In the light of growing global poverty in developing countries like South Africa and other sub-Saharan nations, science and technology have no doubt helped in accelerating the social and economic potential of individuals, businesses and governments. The modern-age inventions of science and technology have brought about solutions to a lot of human problems, although they are not completely successful in ironing out the solutions to global poverty.
It is evident that, with the application of science and technology, social and economic values have changed. There has been notable progress in how business is conducted by government and the private sector today.
However, it is also evident that the advancement of science and technology in South Africa has not reached all citizens equally. As a result those who have been left out of the technology loop are gradually left far behind while those with the purchasing power steadily advance. This widens the gap between the two groups.
The Department of Science and Technology strives to invest in and promote sustainable economic livelihood projects by providing funding. Among the various sustainable livelihood investment portfolios is the funding of applied and experimental aquaculture projects, such as the sea cage finfish farming project in the Eastern Cape which aims at expanding the yellowtail pilot project in Nelson Mandela Bay. Another project is the abalone hatcheries established to lead hatcheries in the Northern Cape, in Hondeklip Bay and in the Western Cape. In addition, there is the KwaZulu- Natal, KZN, aquaculture development project in Richards Bay, which uses a two-cage and four-cage growing system. This serves as a pilot project in the production of dusky cob.
Furthermore, we in the ANC-led government remain committed to supporting the development of new technology in the agricultural sector. Just a flashback, before we came here we went to see some innovations that were displayed. I couldn't believe what I saw in the context of rural development. I didn't know that you could make a scone out of a hot potato! There were also tasty sweet potato chips. One could see precisely how the best science and technology innovations can change the social conditions of our people. [Interjections.] Unfortunately, I thought I would bring one.
Through the demonstration of the Department of Science and Technology, DST, it was shown that agronomy mechanisms are in place to bridge the gap between harvesting from the wild and agricultural cultivation. Funds were provided for South Africa to build the ability to develop novel and indigenous commodities or expand and sustain the products of species that have already been commercialised or are partially commercialised.
This funding is targeted for use on state-owned land and experimental farms, and at rural universities. An example is the current applied research project at the University of Fort Hare, aimed at providing opportunities for young scientists, chemical analysts and natural product chemists to do research for use in the treatment of bronchitis through establishing a nursery on a 10 ha grown out field.
Poverty alleviation and rural development are among the key strategic priorities of the ANC-led government and they are very complex by nature as they concern people and changing the social, economic, cultural and political environment.
In applying science and technology to the alleviation of poverty and taking forward the rural development agenda, the ANC government has programmes to ensure the provision of technology, necessary infrastructure and skills. That is why I find something very strange. Today the ANC-led government has the ability to change programmes in the Department of Education to ensure that young scientists are developed, precisely because of the legacy that the apartheid regime left. I was checking with my chairperson when Bantu education started. Bantu education ensured that a black child would not study science and technology. However, today we, as the ANC-led government, have put in place programmes to ensure that we develop young scientists. Here, I'm looking at you because the hon ... [Laughter.]
The provision of appropriate technology to suit the needs and resources of an area is pivotal in alleviating poverty. In other words, it is not of much help to apply high and sophisticated technology that is not appropriate to the needs of the recipients, because it could even intensify the problem of poverty.
I think that when we talk about Science and Technology, it is important that we understand that this is a department that cuts across all the programmes of the ANC-led government. It is in education, health, science and technology, rural development and safety and security. Without these we will never be able to achieve what we think we will - ensuring that we change the social conditions of our people.
In applying technical expertise to local communities - such as generating energy and power, which are key in poverty alleviation - we should apply technological advances in the energy, communication and information technology sectors to provide power and energy to the poor, particularly those in the rural areas where the provision of social services needs to be accelerated.
We stand here unashamed and we are confident that while there are areas in which we didn't do better in science and technology to be able to ensure that we have changed the social conditions of our people - we know that people are complaining about the state of houses - in science and technology we know that we have technology that can be used to ensure that we build better houses.
It is not going to assist anybody in this House, irrespective of whatever political party they come from, unless together we ensure that science and technology are provided to black people in particular, as they were not provided with an opportunity in that sector. It is that sector that will change their social conditions.
The provision of solar energy and biodiesel plants such as sunflowers and soya beans serve as alternative energy sources to fossil fuels and are less expensive. This would add to the number of rural jobs, but would not reach all citizens equally. As a result, those that have been left out of the technological loop are gradually left far behind with the ... [Interjections.]