Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Minister of Science and Technology, Comrade Derek Hanekom, hon Ministers and hon Deputy Ministers, members of the House and guests of Parliament - flowers of the nation, people of integrity and sons of the soil - thank you very much for allowing us to present the Science and Technology Laws Amendment Bill.
During 2012 the Department of Science and Technology embarked on a process of reviewing legislative provisions dealing with the operations and governance of the science councils reporting to the department. The said legislative review exercise was prompted by, amongst other things, delays that were experienced in the process of appointing and/or replacing members of the boards of science councils. The purpose of the legislative review exercise was to identify factors causing inefficiencies in the operations and governance of the science councils.
The following factors were identified as contributing to the inefficiencies in the governance and operations of the science councils: firstly, cumbersome processes for the appointment of members of the boards and the filling of vacancies; secondly, inconsistencies in the processes of the appointment and determination of service conditions for the chief executive officers, CEOs; and, lastly, inconsistencies in the processes for the extension of the term of office of members of the boards and the grounds for disqualification and/or termination of membership of the boards.
The purpose of the Bill is to streamline processes for the appointment of members of the boards or councils and the filling of vacancies to enhance efficiencies; to harmonise the process for the appointment of chairpersons of the boards or councils and CEOs to ensure consistency; to provide for the dissolution and reconstitution of the boards and the extension of the term of office of members of the boards; and to strengthen the governance of the institutions.
With regard to the consultation process, comments on the Bill were received from the SA Council for Natural Scientific Professions, the National Research Foundation, the Academy of Science of South Africa and the University of the Free State. Comments generally dealt with technical issues relating to the operations of these entities and were fully addressed with the relevant stakeholders. The Bill was broadly welcomed by all stakeholders.
This Bill, [B 36B-2013], is tagged as a Section 75 Bill. The main aim of the Bill is to amend the Scientific Research Council Act, Act 46 of 1988; the National Research Foundation Act, Act 23 of 1998; the Academy of Science of South Africa Act, Act 67 of 2001; the Natural Scientific Professions Act, Act 27 of 2003; the Human Sciences Research Council Act, Act 17 of 2008; the Technology Innovation Agency Act, Act 26 of 2008; and the South African National Space Agency Act, Act 36 of 2008. The Bill seeks to try to harmonise the working of all these Acts so that all boards and councils are appointed in the same way and their services are terminated in the same way.
I appeal therefore to the House to move forward together, and to move South Africa forward, and to support this Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Bill read a second time.