SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LAWS AMENDMENT BILL (Second Reading debate)

The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Thank you very much House Chairperson, the Deputy President, Cabinet colleagues, members of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and the chairperson hon Mapulane, and hon members, as a department we committed ourselves to position Science and Technology as a catalyst towards faster economic growth and development. Whilst we acknowledge the challenges facing a number of our state-owned enterprises, SOEs, there are nevertheless those that are responding very positively to the challenges of our country.

This Bill will ensure that effectively we will be able to harness the achievements of our SOEs. For instance, through the SA National Space Agency, the South African MeerKAT project has been completed on time and within the budget of R3,2 billion. The benefits of hosting these telescopes include a 75% local content component and direct investment of more than R300 million in the Northern Cape by the SA Radio Astronomy Observatory alone.

Through the Technology Innovation Agency we continue to harness the latest advances in smart agriculture. In this regard, we are substantially expanding the agriculture and agroprocessing sector by supporting key value chains and products, developing new markets and reducing our reliance on agricultural imports.

IsiZulu: 14:08.12 Ngobuchwepheshe siwuHulumeni senza ngcono ulwazi ekutheni senze izimpilo zabantu zibe ngcono. Kungakho sizoguqula lemithetho namhlanje.

English: There had been an inconsistent and unco-ordinated management of public entities reporting to our Ministry, with different requirements that regulate their operations.

The main reason for this Bill before you today is not to simply ensure greater administrative efficiency, cost containment and strategic alignment, but it also aims to drive the postschool knowledge and skills development imperatives more decisively.

An important dimension towards the realisation of our objectives is that of harmonising the statutory provisions which regulate the operations of all public entities falling under our Ministry. This Bill seeks to, amongst others, harmonise the processes for the determination of the remuneration and allowances of the members and committees of boards or councils. The Bill also makes provision for the termination of membership of boards of the entities, as well as the disqualification of members or potential members from the membership of such boards. The Bill also seeks to harmonise the processes for the appointment of chief executive officers, CEOs, of the entities.

The amendments will also correct the anomalous situation where the Minister has had no say in the appointments of CEOs of some of our entities and would thus make provision for consultation with the Minister during the appointment of such CEOs.

In the process of preparing this Bill, all interested and affected stakeholders were consulted individually and the Bill was published in the Government Gazette for public comment in November 2017.

In this context, it is crucial that we ensure that the nation's future science, technology and innovation paradigm is grounded on tried and tested principles of good governance.

IsiZulu: 14.10.46 Sethemba ukuthi amalungu ahloniphekile aleNdlu azoweseka awuphasise loMthethosivivinyo ukuze siqubeke nalo msebenzi omuhle esiwenzayo wokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ukuze senze izimpilo zabantu bakithi zibe ngcono. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]

Mr M P MAPULANE / TH (Eng - 26/2/2020) / VW// (Zul) 26/02/2020 @ 14:32 ND (Xho) 26/02/2020 / TAKE ENDS AT 14:19