Chairperson, in evaluating the budget for this department the following words of Fredrich von Hayek come to mind: "It is not the fruits of past success, but the living in and for the future in which human intelligence proves itself."
Minister Pandor, it is indeed so that this is the one department that must have a broad-minded future orientation and consciousness so as to unlock the hidden potential that lies within each South African to not rely on the state for assistance, but to innovate, produce and grow. Therefore, this department, more so than most, can create the type of future we deserve. After all, the best way to predict the future is to create it. Oorhoofs beskou, blyk dit dat die departement se fokus en strategie die regte pad inslaan. Die VF Plus is egter van mening dat hierdie departement se belangrikheid in ekonomiese ontwikkeling steeds te gering geskat word. Die regering sal 'n groter prioriteit van wetenskap en tegnologie moet maak.
Die wese van moderne vooruitgang l in die skep van 'n omgewing waar wetenskaplike en tegnologiese innovasie gedy. Volgens die Verenigde Nasies se Ontwikkelingsprogram se tegnologiese ontwikkelingsindeks l Suid-Afrika nie baie hoog op die skaal nie. Die indeks dui aan hoe goed 'n land nuwe tegnologie skep en versprei en menslike hulpbronne rondom tegnologie ontwikkel. Tans l Suid-Afrika net onder die gemiddelde. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[From an overhead view it is clear that the department's focus and strategy are moving in the right direction. The FF Plus is, however, of the opinion that this department's importance in economic development is still being underestimated. Government will have to make a higher priority of science and technology.
The essence of modern progress lies in the creation of an environment in which scientific and technological innovation can prosper. According to the technology development index of the United Nations Development Programme, South Africa is placed not too high up the scale. This index indicates how well a country creates and distributes new technology and develops human resources around technology. Currently South Africa is lying just below par.]
Why are science and technology so important? From an economic growth point of view, a relationship exists between productivity and national wealth. The relationship is: the more improved the productivity, the more national wealth is created, thus enabling human development. In essence, it is science and technology that drives productivity and actually forms a virtuous cycle, where productivity and wealth leads to further research and skills development, which leads to productivity and wealth.
How, then, can we further enhance our science and technology abilities? Firstly, government needs to spend more of its budget on this sector. Other than policing, health, energy and education - which provide for social stability - this department is the rocket engine that can eventually launch South Africa into the fraternity of developed nations.
Dit is ook die VF Plus se opinie dat die volgende stappe 'n aansienlike rol kan speel in die ontwikkeling van wetenskap en tegnologie.
Eerstens, die skep van 'n arbeidsomgewing, waar verlore kundigheid weer teruggewen en korrek aangewend word. Dit is byvoorbeeld kommerwekkend as van ons beste kernwetenskaplikes oorsee gaan werk soek.
Tweedens, die skep van 'n navorsingsomgewing, waar baie meer navorsers as di wat geoormerk is, gefinansier word. Ons sal ook ons akademiese publikasievermo en uitsette drasties moet verhoog. Daarby moet die staat behulpsaam daarin wees, soos die Grondwet ook vereis, dat navorsers in hulle moedertaal navorsing doen en publiseer. Dit sal lei tot die verbetering van konseptuele denke, die bevordering van inheemse tale en inheemse kennisstelsels, wat ook bekend is as Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Vertalings kan byvoorbeeld met behulp van rekenaarprogrammatuur gedoen word, wat koste ook verlaag. Aan die ander kant is dit ook goed dat daar meer werk vir vertalers geskep word.
Derdens, die aanwysing van universiteite wat die inheemse tale in beskerming neem in hulle navorsingsuitsette. Dit is immers 'n Afrikaanse universiteit wat Suid-Afrika se eerste private satelliet gebou het.
Laastens, Suid-Afrika moet ook begin bel in navorsing en ontwikkeling in tegnologie wat behoort tot 'n toekomstige ontwikkelingsgedrewe bedryf. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [It is also the opinion of the FF Plus that the following steps can play a significant role in the development of science and technology.
Firstly, the creation of a labour environment in which lost skills are recovered and correctly utilised. It is, for instance, alarming that some of our best nuclear scientists are looking for work abroad.
Secondly, creating a research environment in which more researchers than those who have been earmarked are funded. We will also have to drastically increase our academic publishing ability and outputs. The state will have to assist in this, as the Constitution also requires, so that researchers can research and publish in their mother tongue. This will lead to the improvement of conceptual thinking, the promotion of indigenous languages and indigenous knowledge systems. Translations can, for instance, be done with the assistance of computer programmes, which will also reduce the costs. On the other hand, it is also a good thing if more work is created for translators.
Thirdly, there is the appointment of universities that will place the indigenous languages under protection in their research outputs. As you know, it was an Afrikaans university that built South Africa's first private satellite.
Lastly, South Africa should also start to invest in research and development in technologies that belong to a future development-driven industry.]
We have to invest in the future by supporting research in space technology. I thank you.
Chairperson, Ministers, Minister Pandor, Deputy Ministers, hon members, vice-chancellors present, researchers, scientists and learners in the gallery, our country occupies an increasingly prominent place at the frontiers of science. Any lingering doubts about this assertion were surely laid to rest when, earlier this month, Deputy President Motlanthe announced what is being referred to as "the most significant paleontological find in nearly a century".
This was, of course, the remarkable discovery by Professor Lee Berger of two fossil skeletons of a previously unknown hominid species, now known as Australopithecus Sediba, at the Cradle of Humankind. One of these fossils will be on display at the Iziko Museum - please take note, hon members - which will be hosting a paleo focus week on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology during the next four days, starting tomorrow. It will include a number of lectures by prominent paleontologists and exhibitions of our entire, extraordinarily rich fossil spectrum.
These early ancestors of ours lived in the Cradle of Humankind area some 2 million years ago. The painstaking research undertaken by a team of researchers from the University of Witwatersrand - and we know the vice- chancellor is here and his head is held high and his chest is swelling with pride - to ensure the success of this project speaks volumes about the calibre and dedication of our scientists.
On an entirely different front, our astronomers and engineers once again demonstrated that they rank among the best in the world when, just a few weeks ago, Minister Pandor launched the first seven of the 80 dishes that will constitute the MeerKAT radio telescope. As Minister Pandor already said, if we succeed in our bid to build the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, we will be host to the largest radio telescope ever constructed. The SKA will enable us to look back 13 billion years to a period just a few million years after the "Big Bang" that signalled the formation of the universe.
South Africa's prolific evidence of the origins of life on earth has shed significant new light on how life on our planet has evolved over millions of years. Through our increasing mastery of the two disciplines of paleontology and astronomy, we are becoming the world's experts on unveiling the mysteries of the past - how the universe came to be, what made us what we are today, and what significance this knowledge may have for our decisions about our future.
While we pride ourselves on our status as the Cradle of Humankind, we need to ensure that we are also the custodians of the future of humankind. We have a special responsibility to care for our planet and apply our knowledge to shape a better future for the generations that follow us. Our early ancestors used stone tools, but we have at our disposal the tool of modern science - our best chance of finding solutions to the most pressing needs of society.
One of the broad goals we have set for ourselves as government is to increase the life expectancy of our people. This will not be achieved unless we are able to combat HIV and Aids more effectively. While this challenge is now being vigorously addressed by the Department of Health, it is clear that only through a collective effort will we break the back of this devastating virus. Our research community plays a vital role in this effort.
During the past three years researchers at the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, based in Durban, have been testing an antiretroviral, Tenofovir, as a microbicide gel. The trial, funded jointly by the Department of Science and Technology and the government of the United States of America, involved 1 000 women and was completed in March this year. The results will be announced in July.
We are optimistic that the gel will prove an effective method of HIV prevention for those women who are exposed to multiple sexual partners or are, for some reason, restricted in their use of condoms. If, as we hope, the gel is effective in preventing HIV infection in just one third of the users, it will have an enormously positive impact on the HIV epidemic in our country. The gel will also have to be affordable. The good news is that the Department of Science and Technology has secured a royalty fee for the manufacturing of the product. Our researchers are now investigating how we can manufacture it locally.
Also on the health front, there is encouraging news from tuberculosis researchers. The South Africa Tuberculosis Research and Innovation Initiative and the USA's National Institutes of Health have completed the first phase of a programme to discover new drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. Led by a South African biologist stationed at NIH, the South African-United States teams in Washington have screened 35 000 drug-like compounds, discovering 640 totally new drug-like compounds, which present exciting potential to become new drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Over the next 10 years, scientists from both countries will be working together to realise the goal of developing the first South African drug for TB treatment. At the same time they will be contributing to global discovery efforts in this arena and building local capacity and capabilities in drug discovery and development. [Applause.]
This is what drives us - the pursuit of knowledge and the application of science that make a difference to people's lives. It should be clear by now that by using the best modern tools at our disposal, we are both mastering the science of the past and actively engaging with the challenges of the present.
Now we come to one of the biggest issues confronting humankind - the threat of climate change. Science has woken us up to the threats facing our planet. Currently, we are losing up to 140 000 species per year. However, unlike past mass-extinction events, the current "sixth extinction" is induced by humans. We are at the crossroads - we can either plunge further and irreversibly into this looming catastrophe or we can use science to help us make new choices, and modify our behaviour to rescue the situation.
South Africa is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Recognising the seriousness of our situation and the impact of human activity on the natural resources on which life depends, the Department of Science and Technology has included global change science as one of the grand challenge areas in our 10-year innovation plan. Any effective response to climate change must be linked to the broader outcome of building an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable South Africa.
Globally, knowledge, technology development and innovation are regarded as core to any attempt to cope with and adapt to the negative consequences of climate and other environmental changes. Our challenge is to find and adopt ways of reducing our carbon, pollution and waste footprint.
The Department of Science and Technology has made important progress in supporting South Africa's efforts to adapt to climate change and to support mitigation efforts. I would like to highlight four aspects: Firstly, through a partnership with the scientific and research community, we have finalised a 10-year Global Change Research Plan. The plan identifies areas of knowledge generation that are key to supporting not only a better understanding of climate change and environmental impacts but also policy, decision-making and action. The research plan will be published and widely circulated in the next few months.
Secondly, through focused initiatives like the South African Research Chairs Initiative, the Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems Science and other innovative programmes, the department is helping to build the next generation of leaders, managers and researchers to support the sustainable development efforts of government, industry and other institutions.
Thirdly, in response to the weaknesses in the data and models currently available, the DST initiated the South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas programme. The programme is targeted at supporting local level decision- making and will include capacity-building and support in interpreting the information in the atlas. A hard-copy version of the atlas and an interactive web-based tool will be available in the next few months.
And finally, if South Africa is to become a low-carbon economy, more attention needs to be paid to energy issues and to efforts to find low- carbon energy solutions. The department continues to support research, innovation and human capital development in the field of alternative and renewable energies.
This brings me to the matter of renewable energy. South Africa has the potential for large-scale solar energy generation, but we have yet to exploit this potential fully. The department has embarked on a process of assessing where solar energy technology might play a significant role in our country and how we can develop and strengthen it to achieve a competitive advantage from which economic benefits can be derived.
In this regard the department commissioned the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to facilitate the development of a long-term national solar technology road map to guide our activities. The department will be engaging with various stakeholders on the draft technology road map so that we can finalise and agree on a national implementation plan.
Parallel to this, the department will promote strategic partnerships and establish a solar energy centre of competence that will serve as a platform for commercialising solar energy innovations. Of course, solar energy is not the only alternative to our current reliance on fossil fuels. The department is pioneering and supporting a number of exciting initiatives in this area which will contribute both to a growing green economy and, ultimately, to the protection of the future of our planet.
The vehicles that brought us to Parliament this morning are among the greatest contributors to the emissions threatening our planet. To make matters worse, they rely on a nonrenewable resource, which will run out one day. One vehicle that arrived here this morning did not pollute the atmosphere, and it arrived quietly, because it is driven by an electric motor. It is called the Joule. This vehicle was designed by a team of South Africans, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, and it is parked outside for all of you to see.
It is estimated that by 2020 electric and hybrid vehicles could account for up to 20% of vehicle sales globally. In this context, South Africa needs to ensure that it is not left behind in the growing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles. It is our business to fund this kind of innovation. In a globally competitive market, not all innovations will be successfully commercialised.
Hon member Shinn, we take your point very well. We take note of that and we assure you that we are not in the business of commercialising things, but in the business of promoting innovation. Your point is well noted.
Working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry, we will ensure that the necessary backing is there, including further research in improved battery technology, the training of engineers, and the registration of intellectual property rights to support South African innovations such as these so that they have a better chance of penetrating an extremely competitive global market.
We have yet to find satisfactory answers to a great many scientific challenges, but perhaps the biggest challenge of them all is on the human capital front. The reality is that we are not producing nearly enough scientists, and without scientists there can be no science.
Success in our efforts to develop science, engineering and technology human resources that are representative of South Africa's demographics depends largely on having sufficient numbers of school leavers with passes in mathematics and science. We are aware that to do this we will have to encourage more learners to choose mathematics and science when they enter grade 10, and then to attract the best performers to science-based careers.
The Youth into Science Strategy, which the Department of Science and Technology adopted in 2007, contributes to this goal. That beeping is not from me, Chairperson. Thank you. We are working closely with the Department of Basic Education. We are very happy to have Deputy Minister Enver Surty here with us in the implementation of its National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.
It is in this context that the department has adopted 18 Dinaledi Schools - two schools in each province - in reasonable proximity to Science Centres. I have already started a programme of visits to our adopted schools in order to assess the situation on the ground and to find out how we can strengthen our support to them. At the same time, the Department is drafting a comprehensive plan for support to the 18 Dinaledi schools.
One of the innovative ways in which we hope to assist learners is through the Dr Math project, an initiative of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Meraka Institute. Dr Math gives learners online assistance with their maths homework. The software has been enhanced to allow tutors to log on from dispersed locations. The Meraka Institute is in discussion with the Department of Basic Education and network operators on further expansion plans for the programme.
The department remains committed to the cause of making citizens aware of the importance of science in their lives. One of the key instruments we are using to do this is the annual National Science Week. In our quest to improve the quality and reach of the event, a 10-year review of this intervention will be conducted this year. The conclusion of the review will inform our next five-year strategy, which will come into effect in 2012. Meanwhile, we have adopted an interim strategy to guide the implementation of the National Science Week in 2010 and 2011, and for these two years the theme will be "The Role of Science in Economic Development".
In this vein we urge you to return to your own constituencies and assist in fostering greater interest in the sciences among our young people. Indeed, there is science in everything we do. There is science in the construction of an informal shack and in the building of a satellite. It is science that will enable us to identify new vaccines or to learn about our past through the analysis of ancient fossils. It is up to us to excite and enthuse our younger generation and to give them all the necessary support to become the great scientists of the future.
In order for our economy to become more competitive and achieve higher growth rates and for us to continue to address the needs of ordinary people in our country, we must increase our investment in our research capabilities. By doing so, we will secure our prominent place at the frontiers of global science. Minister Pandor, thanks for your kind words; it has been a pleasure for me to work with you, and the pleasure grows.
Please wrap up your speech, hon Deputy Minister.
Working together, with a highly motivated and competent department and the portfolio committee - whose probing questions we welcome, by the way - we believe we can take science and technology in our country to far greater heights. After all, this is our country; it belongs to all of us. And Australopithecus Sediba is our collective ancestor. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Chair, hon Ministers, the ACDP notes that the Department of Science and Technology has been allocated R4,6 billion for the 2010-11 financial year. This is a 1,5% increase. This, we hope, will allow for significant progress in the development of human resources, knowledge generation and investment in science and technology infrastructure.
The Minister's enthusiastic report was encouraging and very interesting. The information around solar energy initiatives, vehicle innovations and more was exciting and inspirational. Thank you.
In view of the underspending in the previous financial year due to staff turnover and vacant posts, hon Minister, what is the current personnel vacancy rate, and what obstacles are being experienced in filling these positions?
The ACDP is concerned that the skills deficit in the department could impact negatively on the department's ability to deliver on its mandate. We call on the Minister to prioritise the resourcing of relevant skills.
Recognising the role of the Research Development and Innovation, RDI, programme in providing policy leadership in long-term and cross-cutting research and innovation, does the department's South African HIV and Aids research and innovation platform link with initiatives like the SA Aids Vaccine Initiative? Is there greater scope for linking initiatives and is this aspect adequately budgeted for? Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your input on these issues.
The International Co-operation and Resources programme, which aims to develop and service bilateral and multilateral relationships and agreements in science and technology, has a 4% decrease in expenditure. Will this decrease have repercussions in terms of the work being done in this area? How much donor funding does the department hope to secure over the Medium- Term Expenditure Framework period, and has this funding been earmarked for any specific projects?
We are pleased to note that the programme which prioritises the development and implementation of national programmes to produce knowledge and development of human capital, the associated infrastructure, equipment and public research services, has increased from R1,6 billion to R1,7 billion.
The ACDP recognises the importance of and the need for the intended additional 150 research chairs to be awarded across various fields of science and technology. I heard the Minister talking about 20; I hope it is not just 20. We also commend the department on the seven centres of excellence that have been established, but note that nine were originally envisioned. Are the remaining two still on the cards, and what has caused the delay?
The ACDP is encouraged by plans to increase the number of learners in schools benefiting from supplementary tuition in mathematics, physical sciences and English. The public would, however, like to know what criteria the department uses to determine which schools and learners benefit from the supplementary tuition.
Will you be considering the success of the LEAP Science and Maths schools in Langa, Gugulethu and Alexandra, where the former achieved an average matric pass rate of 94%? Of all LEAP's matriculants, 70% have gone on to study at tertiary level. Their principal and originator is reported to have suggested that government must take over the schools with a view to extending the model. Lastly, the ACDP would like to know the extent to which the budget focuses ... [Time expired.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, the Square Kilometre Array telescope will be one of the largest scientific research facilities in the world and will position South Africa as a major hub for astronomy in the world. The SKA will benefit South Africa, Africa, the world and the radio-astronomers' community to explore the origins of galaxies and probe the edges of the universe.
The MeerKAT, the SKA and the findings of Sediba will attract scientists, engineers and paleoanthropologists to come and work in Africa. This is an opportunity for Africa and South Africa, in particular, to expose young males and females from historically disadvantaged backgrounds to science and related matters. Through SKA, the country will enjoy all the direct benefits of a powerful radiotelescope, capital operations and maintenance costs, job creation during the construction, extensive skills development opportunities and sharing information with the world's best scientists and the engineering community.
South Africa, as one of the shortlisted countries, is currently building a pathfinder telescope. The MeerKAT will act as the pre-cursor for SKA but whether we win (which is possible) or not (which is unthinkable), the country will benefit from having a high-powered data network that will link the telescope site in the Karoo to the control centre in Cape Town. It's vital to manage the MeerKAT project properly, because that will build confidence with the International SKA Site Advisory Committee.
We must profile this bid as an African bid because, while the project is situated in South Africa's Karoo region, in the Northern Cape Province, there will be outlying stations in Africa. The SKA will spread to countries like Namibia, Madagascar, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Mauritius. This augurs well for the African Renaissance programme.
It is encouraging to know that newly qualified engineers have no problem in joining and even leading SKA and MeerKAT teams. It's crucial for African scientists and engineers to benefit from this world-class cutting-edge technology development.
The most important factor is to keep the community of the area informed and involved in the project. The project team must consider a stakeholder forum as an important part of the project, not as a distant matter that does not require immediate attention. The team, however, should avoid a lengthy consultation process that might delay project completion.
The MeerKAT and SKA projects will yield some positive results for the community in the area and the country at large. Let me highlight some immediate benefits for the community. Firstly, local business and the hospitality industry will benefit from the influx of constructors of the telescope. Secondly, MeerKAT and SKA will bring much-needed infrastructure into the area, like roads, water and power. There will also be job creation in the laying of underground optic fibre cables and there will be additional maths and science educators in the area, which is very important. Thirdly, the communities of Klerefontein and Losberg will enjoy much-needed business and job opportunities during the construction period. Finally, these communities will also enjoy the benefits of having a cyberlab in their area.
We understand the requirements that made the Karoo area qualify as a suitable place for SKA, but at the same time the community must enjoy equal access to a radio frequency that is even better than before. Sentech and SABC are busy building low masts to ensure there is no loss of service like television, radio and other alternative communication means. It is important to ensure that the community receives a better service than before, not the other way round.
The Youth into Science and Engineering Programme is the right thing to do. Congratulations to the department. What is also important is the involvement of the departments of Basic and of Higher Education to encourage youth into science at an early stage. The programme will help diversify the scientific community so that it will reflect the demographics of this country. Yes, it requires patience, but failure to try is not an option.
The challenge that we need to address is that MeerKAT and SKA are not profiled and publicised enough outside the normal communication channels of the scientific community. We should prepare all South Africans for the fact that a huge project, bigger than the 2010 World Cup, is coming to Africa. We are still waiting for the volcano ash to clear, then all of us will see this project. This is not a project for scientists only. We must rally all South Africans behind it. Indeed South Africa, your time is now.
The Technology Innovation Agency is envisaged as the institutional mechanism that has the competency to assist the National System of Innovation, NSI, to mine the existing body of knowledge and to stimulate the generation of new knowledge in order to develop technology-based products and services that have the potential to be commercialised and distributed locally and abroad.
The TIA intends to advocate the "working together" mentality through building on existing innovation capacity by integrating the management of different technological innovations, incubation and diffusion initiatives in the country. The entities and programmes that will be incorporated into TIA are the biotechnology innovation centres, health centres, energy security grand challenges, Innovation Fund, national Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Strategy of SA, and the Tshumisano Trust.
It is important that while the TIA is repositioning and restructuring the current portfolio, the project that addresses social needs, like the HIV and TB pandemics, continue to deliver results. The reconfiguration should not delay the work that needs to be done in order for the country to move forward in terms of innovation.
Partnerships and working relationships with other relevant departments and institutions are crucial for TIA to bring along even other departments on the journey of creating attractive, world-class and large-scale innovation projects. If we work as one organism, not in silos, the country stands to benefit greatly.
TIA has six product offerings that are aimed at maximising socio-economic benefits. These offerings are of great importance for technology development, innovation capacity-building, technology nursery programmes, and promoting a much-needed national culture of innovation transfer for a country like South Africa. Indeed, we hope that TIA will be able to solve the issue of the innovation chasm and the fragmentation of funding instruments, which was evident in the NSI. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. I thank you.
Hon Chairperson, since science and technology separated from the mother ship in 2004, it has been busy restructuring and "revisioning" itself. Six years later, the process has yet to come together. The Technology Innovation Agency is but one example.
Despite the Technology Innovation Agency Act being passed in 2008, a chief executive officer has yet to be appointed. Very little progress has been achieved with the migration of the seven entities into TIA. By the own admission of the chairman of the board, the set-up costs of TIA were not considered when the Act was passed. I think it's a case of "Houston, we have a problem."
The 10-year innovation plan of the department states that the aim is to transform the South African economy into a knowledge-based one. The knowledge-based economy is an expression coined to describe trends in advanced economies towards greater dependence on knowledge, information and high skills levels and the increasing need for ready access to all of these by business and public sectors.
Ireland is a good example of a successful knowledge-based economy. One of the key reasons is the heavy state investment in tertiary education as well as providing generous funding for research and development.
A three-year study of prospective science students at one South African university showed that almost half of the 313 students in a bridging programme had difficulties with basic mathematics skills. More than half were baffled by a simple graph, with 80% unable to combine equations and about 35% unable to solve even examples of problems encountered in their daily lives. Given the results of this study and the fact that South Africa has been ranked number 45 out of 134 countries in the 2009 World Economic Forum, there clearly is still a lot of work to be done to achieve the department's vision.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is a major player in South Africa's research and industrial arena so as to establish the relevancy of its business focus, particularly to address our drastic need to export products to earn foreign exchange for wealth creation. This entity's research impacts on, among other areas, renewable and alternative energy, new drug development, climate change, and water and coastal issues.
While the CSIR has listed its achievements in its glossy publication, detail about its role in respect of climate change is seriously lacking. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges ever to confront humanity. South Africa's geographic position is one of its assets, and it can enable us to play a leading role in climate change.
What are our researchers doing in respect of land degradation, drought- resistant crops, water quality and ocean changes along our coastline? What is the Deputy Minister doing for South Africans to map their carbon footprint?
One of the main effects of climate change is the increased incidence of malaria and other vector-borne diseases. A more urgent response is needed in prevention, early-warning systems - detection - and treatment. It is my considered opinion that these areas fall in the research domain of the