Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon Minister of Science and Technology, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here, hon members and the guests of Parliament present today, CEO of the HSRC, director- general and your delegation - if at all they are here - please allow me, on behalf of my Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology, to present to this honourable House a reconstituted shortlist of candidates for the board of HSRC that will govern this important research institution. This institution forms part of the Department of Science and Technology family of entities.
The list of candidates who are being presented before this honourable House today is a culmination of a painstaking exercise by the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology over a period of about a year to date. With this exercise we sought to update section 2 of the Human Sciences Research Council Act of 1968, Act No 23 of 1968, through the repealing of section 8 of the Human Sciences Research Council Act of 2008, Act No 17 of 2008.
The objective of this latter amendment has been to promote human sciences research of the highest quality in South Africa in order to improve the understanding of social conditions and the process of social change connected with the political transformation processes that have been happening in our country since the advent of democracy, as led by the ANC, in 1994.
The HSRC board will, in accordance with this amending Bill, consist of a chairperson designated by the Minister and no less than six but no more than nine members plus the CEO, who is a member by virtue of his or her office.
The Minister, after appointing a panel of experts to compile a shortlist of no more than 20 persons from the nominees, will then refer the shortlist to the portfolio committee for concurrence, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Indeed, the portfolio committee recommended that the list of candidates be revisited in order to reflect the few recommendations advanced by the portfolio committee on that day of the presentation. The Department of Science and Technology indeed addressed those concerns and submitted a revised list to the portfolio committee. The portfolio committee then concurred with the revised list.
As an institution of research, the HSRC is tasked with a variety of responsibilities to promote research in the field of human sciences in order to improve the quality of life of all our people. These range from research analyses of housing delivery problems to children-led households resulting from the HIV and Aids pandemic challenges, poverty and unemployment challenges, analyses of economic and social gains arising from the 2010 Fifa soccer games, political and economic stability challenges for our African region, etc. There's a long list of what the HSRC does.
It is indeed an important research institution when it comes to research on the sociopolitical or economic challenges facing our nation and the world. It is therefore imperative that we establish a board of capable men and women that would be up to the challenge. We think that the shortlist presented to you today consists of people who are up to that challenge.
It is, therefore, my pleasure to appeal that this House ratify the shortlist of candidates for the board, as presented in the ATC of 9 July 2009, page 48, as it is only when we work together that we can do more. I thank you and especially my fellow portfolio committee members, who have worked so hard over the said period to conclude this task. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Declarations of vote: