Deputy Speaker, hon Mapulane, Stewart Brand, the editor of the Whole Earth Catalogue, an American anti establishment magazine says if the new technology rolls out, if not part of the steam roller you are part of the road. So, let's see whether we are part of the steam roller or part of the road. Obviously Bro Blade being involved we possibly could end up on the lesser side of the equation.
There can be no doubt that science and technology plays an important role in our advancement as a country and as a nation indeed. We must however be masters of our own
destiny and have full control of that destiny. We must be involved throughout the value chain of research, innovation and development of science and technology.
But, also we must participate in the critical role of strategic decision making, managing research and development at a practical level, the location of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, SKA, which is all what you all not speaking about is in the United Kingdom, far away from where the actual work takes place.
So, the decision making strategic engine about all the important projects including funding within the SKA program is in the United States. The physical SKA is co- located in the Northern Cape and Australia. All the physical work, the real science and technology and development will take pace at these locations. It's regrettable that the colonial relations still persist where the colonial masters take decisions in the United Kingdom, UK and the colonies do the spade work. But, obviously this is the ANC and they are backed by the DA so you guys are happy.
It is regrettable and it demonstrates a lack of fore sight and mentality of always submitting to colonial imperialists, masters will and false superiority. They are not better than us. We are just as capable.
Why couldn't the head office be based in Africa? Why couldn't the engine of the SKA be based in Zambia, Mozambique, Ghana or even in South Africa, closer to the physical infrastructure? South Africa and the African continent as a whole will not derive maximum benefit from this.
Decisions will be made for us. Countries like Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia will not benefit as much compare to if the observatory was based in Africa. It matters, yes it does. We must not underestimate the proximity of physical location of decision making because those that reside closer to the actual facilities are likely to derive the benefits. Even in the modern era of high speed internet technology and now the development of five to six generation mobile wireless network.
Transformation in research and development must happen while it must start locally, we must seek to play a much bigger role including that of housing head offices of institutions such as the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. We are the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, an important facility responsible for managing all radio astronomy initiatives and facilities in South Africa.
Its management team is made up of mostly white men. Mostly white men, you must know this Bro Blade's area. That guy has got no idea about what happens. Four out of fifteen are women and only three out fifteen are black. Africans who are responsible for stakeholder relations, human resources and marketing, these are important but they are not the key positions. They are not the scientific positions, construction, planning or technology but obviously Bro Blade being involved we are not on the steam roller, we are part of the road when it comes to the rolling out of technology. Thank you very much.