Hon Chairperson, hon Member of Parliament, the National Development Plan, NDP, acknowledges that science,
technology and innovation are crucial to enabling broad-based socioeconomic development through a skilled and innovative population. This is outlined and in line with the department's vision and mandate to all our citizens.
At the outset, allow me to welcome the department's merger with higher education. The IFP and many others have called for this merger a long while ago. Preparing our young people for work for the future is essential and it is fitting that the innovations of this department may trickle down through to the higher education sector.
Chairperson, I support the department's initiative to secure international funding of R1,4 billion over the medium term. This is important to ensure that we strengthen our relations with international partners and that we are able to benchmark their successes in the research and development arena.
In the objectives outlined under Programme 4 of the department, the IFP will hold this department accountable in awarding 9 300 bursaries to doctoral students - awarding 32 400 bursaries to postgraduate, students and placing 1 750 graduates and students in work preparation programmes funded by the department in science, engineering and technology institutions. With the job crisis we
face, it is essential that we ensure we reach targets set out and that our budgets provide for impact. We need bang for buck and it is our hope that this department will achieve its intended outcomes as set out in the Annual Performance Plan.
It is unfathomable that this department suffers neglect from the current Cabinet, it is dismissed as mere backbench portfolio and its budget remains one of the lowest. However, science and technology plays a pivotal role or rather should play a pivotal role in our country. Our ever growing youth population strives and lives for new technology and innovation. This department has certainly failed our young people in being an incubator to develop the latest technological innovations and cutting-edge high-tech which may see exorbitant data costs lowered, for example.
South Africa's competitiveness within the BRICS nations is poor as we fair rather miserably and as sentiment has it. It is slow far- behind and backward. Although there are many examples of sterling work done which we may applaud and commend the department in driving, it is frustrating to note that so much more work can be done within this department, especially when our rural young people find themselves at a severe disadvantage in terms of accessing
programmes through the information and communication technologies, ICT, sector.
Research and development in strategic focus areas such as space science, energy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, photonics, and indigenous knowledge systems etc, require more funding and support to many who are financially needy. Although, I am aware that research and development receives the biggest cut out of this budget and therefore, I am pleased that it still remains the backbone of this department, students are still begging for bursaries, anyway.
Chairperson, we need to host less talk shops and see the technology industry open up. The IFP supports this budget. I thank you.