To this end, we have agreed with the new National Director of Public Prosecutions that there is an urgent need to establish in the office of the NDPP an investigating directorate dealing with serious corruption and associated offences, in accordance with section 7 of the National Prosecuting Authority Act.
I will soon be promulgating a proclamation that will set out the specific terms of reference of the directorate. In broad terms, the directorate will focus on the evidence that has emerged from the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, other commissions and disciplinary inquiries. It will identify priority cases to investigate and prosecute and will recover assets identified to be the proceeds of corruption. The Directorate will bring together a range of investigatory and prosecutorial capacity from within government and in the private sector under an investigating director reporting to the NDPP.
The NDPP will be acting - and I would like this to be very clear - in terms of the rule of law without any favour or prejudice and will execute her tasks enshrined in the Constitution.
In the longer term, we will work with the NPA and other agencies of law enforcement to develop a more enduring solution that will strengthen the capacity of the criminal justice system to deal with corruption.
Fellow South Africans, as we grapple with the challenges of our recent past, and as we deepen our efforts to overcome the grave injustices of centuries, it is essential that we do so with our eyes firmly fixed on the future.
The world we now inhabit is changing at a pace and in a manner that is unprecedented in human history. Revolutionary advances in technology are reshaping the way people work and live. They are transforming the way people relate to each other, the way societies function and the way they are governed.
The devastating effects of global warming on our climate are already being felt, with extreme weather conditions damaging livelihoods, communities and economies.
As a young nation, only 25 years into our democracy, we are faced with a stark choice. It is a choice between being overtaken by technological change, or harnessing it to serve our developmental aspirations. It is a choice between entrenching inequality or creating shared prosperity through innovation. Unless we adapt, unless we understand the nature of the profound change that is reshaping our world, and unless we readily embrace the opportunities it presents, the promise of our nation's birth will forever remain unfulfilled.
Today, we choose to be a nation that is reaching into the future. In doing so, we are building on a platform of extraordinary scientific achievement.
The successful construction in the Northern Cape of the MeerKAT telescope - the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope - and the development of the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, has enabled South Africa to develop capabilities in areas such as space observation, advanced engineering and supercomputing.
These skills and capabilities are being used to build the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionisation Array, called Hera, a radio telescope designed to detect, for the first time in the history of the world, the distinctive radio signal from the very first stars and galaxies that formed early in the life of the universe. It is being done here in South Africa. [Applause.]
This is not merely about advancing human understanding of the origins of the universe; it is about responding to the challenges that face South Africans now and into the future. It is about developing the technology and the capabilities that will build a dynamic and competitive economy that creates decent, sustainable jobs. It is about enhanced food security, better disease management, and cheaper, cleaner and more efficient energy. It is about smart human settlements and social development solutions built around people's needs and preferences. It is about smarter, more responsive, more effective governance.
To ensure that we effectively and with greater urgency harness technological change, I have appointed a Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Comprised of eminent persons drawn from various sectors of society, the Commission will serve as a national overarching advisory mechanism on digital transformation. [Applause.]
This is about preparing our country for the future. This commission will identify and recommend policies, strategies and plans that will position South Africa as a global competitive player within the digital revolution space.
Building on the work we have done over the last year, we will focus issues that many South Africans are concerned about, such as strengthening the capacity of the state. We have made progress in examining the size and structure of the state, and will complete this work by the end of this administration. We only have a few months to go until the life of this administration comes to an end and, boom, we will have a reconfigured state in the next administration. [Applause.]
As we look forward to this wonderful brave future, we invite all South Africans to make suggestions on how we can better configure our government to serve the needs and the interests of the people. [Interjections.]
In improving the capabilities of public servants, the National School of Government is introducing a suite of compulsory courses, covering areas like ethics and anti-corruption, senior management [Interjections.]
We will process the operationalisation of section 8 of the Public Administration and Management Act. This provision will see the imposition of harsher penalties, including fines and prison sentences for officials that transgress the rules. [Applause.]
South Africa has this year taken up a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. We will use this position to advance peace on the continent and across the globe, taking forward Nelson Mandela's vision of a peaceful, stable and just world. In a few months time, South Africans will go to the polls for the sixth time in our democracy to vote for national and provincial governments. This is an opportunity for our people to exercise their hard-won right to determine the direction of this country.
I have engaged with the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, and also with the premiers of all provinces, and intend to proclaim 8 May 2019 as the date of the election. [Applause.]
We wish to remind all eligible South Africans who have not yet registered as voters ... [Interjections.]