Chairperson, the ACDP also offers its condolences for Mandla Maseko, commonly known as Spaceboy was set to become the first Afronaut was taken home too soon; our prayers and condolences to the family.
The notes the budget of some R8,1 billion for the Department of Science and Technology for 2019-20 financial year. This budget is divided amongst 5 programmes, with programmes 2, 4, and 5, namely: Technology Innovation, Research Development and Support, and Socioeconomic Partnerships receiving 93,5%, or R7,6 billion of the department's total allocation.
The ACDP further notes that the department introduced the concept of the National System of Innovation, NSI, and in its report highlighted several challenges which include: inadequate and noncollaborative means of national Science, Technology and
Innovation, STI, agenda setting; insufficient policy coherence and co- ordination; weak partnerships between NSI actors; inadequate monitoring and evaluation; inadequate high level science, engineering, and technology and technical skills for the economy; an undersized research system; a poor environment for innovation; and significant levels of underfunding.
The ACDP has consistently said that math, science and coding in particular, are key catalytic drivers of any economy. To reverse the dismal performance of the South African economy, we have to promote and unleash the potential of these core disciplines. Failure to do so will yield catastrophic consequences and the challenges enumerated on the NSI are not encouraging at all.
The love for math and science subjects begins at the entry level of the Department of Basic Education - one of the partners and collaborators of the NSI. This is perhaps where the challenge exists.
Instead of math and science becoming compulsory subjects, there is a plan to make history a compulsory subject up to Grade 12. Social engineering seems to take precedence over common sense.
Instead of math, science and coding, the Department of Basic Education seeks to introduce comprehensive sexuality education, CSE, into the curriculum. The CSE is nothing short of sexual conscientising of the youth of our country as it teaches on aspects of masturbation, oral, anal, heterosexual, homosexual and same sex experimentation.
The Department of Science and Technology, through the NSI, seeks to achieve a common set of social, economic goals and objectives to help South Africa achieve its development priorities. Unless its partners and collaborators give up their exercises of social and sexual engineering, these goals and objectives will become nothing but a pipe dream.
Indeed, hon Mapulane, we should not allow social sexual experimentation to distort these beautiful subjects ... [Time expired.]