Hon Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister and all members of this House, firstly we want to welcome and support this budget. Secondly, we want to bring to your attention a few items for your consideration. The first one is that we must as a country utilise the small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, as an innovation harbour. We can learn from the countries such as Ruanda that encourage ideas from the locals and that have invested in small and medium enterprises as a means of getting ideas and innovation around the country.
Again we also need to take into consideration that we have a highly westernised science and technology in the country. Whereas we have
indigenous knowledge systems that should be aggressively promoted and they can be a catalyst for economic growth.
Now what we are saying as the ATM is that more focus must be put on indigenous science. I know in the past year, I think there was a court case allowing people to use a medical certificate that they get from a traditional doctor to use when they are off sick. Now that clearly shows that there is a huge appetite to make use of the indigenous knowledge systems. Therefore what the department should try is to aggressively promote and invest more in indigenous knowledge systems.
Again more investment must be done in rural areas because this is where most of these are more benefitting in. For we find that most of these projects are highly centralised in the urban areas that does not benefit the people in the rural areas.
So, with those few words as the ATM we support this budget. Thank you.