Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members and distinguished guests, including our philosophers and scientists who helped and continue to help the ANC government to chart the way forward in bettering the lives of all South Africans, good afternoon. I rise to support the Budget Vote of this department for the financial year 2012-13 and to gain the necessary royal seal of approval. [Laughter.] [Applause.] This is not the DA's alternative budget which, with respect, is unscientific and will never see the light of day. [Interjections.] Furthermore, I don't propose to dwell much on the criticism by the hon Kloppers-Lourens about educational matters because, as she knows, there is a Portfolio Committee on Education. If she is interested, she should tell me and I will tell Madam Tea Lady to deploy her there ... [Interjections.] ... so that we can debate this matter at the proper level.
I also take this opportunity to thank the hon Minister, her department and all the entities working with the department for the good work done and the plans they have put in place to utilise the money allocated to the department to advance the goals set out by the ANC. The cadres of our movement are impressed with the manner in which you and Comrade Hanekom have led this department. We are particularly pleased, Comrade Pandor, that under your leadership the department has utilised the money allocated by Parliament to fund programmes to strengthen the ANC's determination to educate and capacitate South Africans to continue governing and valuing freedom, which is the result of the selfless struggle of our liberation movement led by the ANC for a century. We were particularly impressed by the open and transparent manner in which you accounted for all the activities of the department. No wonder you are rated as one of the best Ministers deployed by the ANC, sometimes even by the myopic howlers of the DA, which is a concoction of liberals and conservatives. [Applause.] [Interjections.] I am told that those myopic howlers are marching to Cosatu House today - a worthless cause indeed! [Interjections.] They have actually betrayed the few South Africans who have voted for them as their representatives in this Parliament.
Fellow deployees of the ANC, the only people's organisation mandated by the people of South Africa to govern have all said a mouthful to set out what our Department of Science and Technology has done, is doing and is determined to continue doing for the people of South Africa and, I dare say, for the people of our mother continent, Africa, and of the world.
I propose making a case for science, particularly for scientific research, as being key to promoting the ideals of a developmental state. In doing so, I will deal with the question of scientific research in our quest to promote indigenous knowledge systems and the need for science and technology in our determination to unlock, kick-start and accelerate rural development, as well as the issue of promoting agriculture as part of our agrarian reform.
The ANC's determination to promote quality of life is also dependant on ploughing, hoeing and reaping the crops and vegetables that nourish the brain and sharpen our minds to do even better and, of course, be faster. The department has a subprogramme comprising of three subdirectorates: Advocacy and Policy Development, Knowledge Development and Knowledge Management. This is in accordance with the strategic objective of promoting and developing research, development and innovation in indigenous knowledge systems for the improvement of quality of life.
Asinqwakuzi Mhlali- ngaphambili, yonke into siyenza sicingile, sidle amathambo entloko sisebenzisa amava nolwazi blweenkcuba-buchopho neengqondi. Asifukuzi asifuni sitya ebumnyameni yiyo loo nto abantu beli lizwe babhenela kumbutho wesizwe i-ANC, eyabakhululayo ukuba iya kuthi ibalawule kude kube ngonaphakade. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We are sane, Chairperson. We think carefully before we do anything. We deliberate on issues and we apply the valuable experience and knowledge of experts. We are not just fumbling and that is why the people of this country resorted to the people's party, the ANC, which liberated them so that it governed forever.] The subprogramme called the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office, or Nikso, aims to promote research, development and innovation in the IKS for improved quality of life, as some of comrades have already said. These activities set out clearly the five principal goals of the department through their focus on developing the innovation capacity of IKS in the National System of Innovation; enhancing knowledge-generation capacity; developing appropriate and unique human capital for IKS-related fields; building a world-class infrastructure for the recording and documentation of indigenous knowledge; and IKS laboratories to train researchers and to enable technology transfer.
Nikso has prioritised activities for the financial year 2012-13 in the development of legislation and the preservation and management of indigenous knowledge. How many believe that African scientists are capable of producing aircraft through African brooms and loaves of bread? [Interjections.] How many believe that through IKS, hail storms, tsunamis and other disasters can be stopped? This could happen if all members of a community came out of their homes, beating drums and irons, and making a noise to chase them away! This would avoid disasters destroying life and limb, as well as the destruction of our crops and the killing of our livestock. Africans are capable of causing thunderstorms accompanied by lightning. [Interjections.] Therefore science and technology will be used to prepare our national team, Bafana Bafana, for instance, to qualify for competitions. [Interjections.] Through the CSRI we are developing a system to check how the Brazilians are doing it on the playing field in order to outmanoeuvre them, of course. Therefore, I have no doubt that, through science, we will have a better Bafana Bafana for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Bangaphi apha endlwini abathandabuza ubuciko nobunzulu-lwazi bengqondo yemveli yama-Afrika, ngabula PAC ama-Afrika Poqo? Sibamba ngazo zozibini kurhulumente wombutho wamanyange i-ANC. Nathi esasi cinezelwe ziirhuluneli zasentshona siziva singabantu yaye sikwazi nokucinga ngenxa yesikhokelo esisiso seli sebe. Ngokwenene, iphupha loomakhulu noobawomkhulu kwi-Freedom Charter liyafezekiswa. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[How many people in this House doubt the eloquence and indigenous scientific thinking of Africans, as the PAC would put it? We thank the experienced ANC-led government. Even those of us who were oppressed by the Western colonialist feel like dignified people who are able to think because of guidance from this department. Really, the ideals of our grandmothers and grandfathers are being realised.]
I'm reminded of a Pondo man, uValela, who created a machine gun and rounds of ammunition from the legs of a pot. He was arrested by the Matanzima regime because of his intellect. [Interjections.] It is pleasing to know that the utilisation of indigenous knowledge, through research and development, and innovation, through bioprospecting activities and technology transfer to communities, are priorities of the department.
RDI activities in the IKS focus on the following: research funding managed by the NRF; innovation and technology transfer undertaken by research universities and science councils; and the setting up of the IKS centres of excellence. Who knew there would be IKS centres of excellence in this country?
A ring-fenced fund of R10 million for IKS research is transferred annually to the NRF. Following the IKS fund review, Nikso developed, piloted and implemented the new research management system as an IKS policy imperative. The model is now managed by the NRF through the IKS programme management committee and has achieved the following results: There are 12 projects with 10 assistants, 8 honours degrees, 19 master's degrees, 11 PhDs and 1 postdoctoral degree. In the past three years, Nikso invested R30 million in 12 applied research projects, which so far supported 11 PhDs and 19 master's degree students. Five articles were published in peer review journals and 10 chapters were published in various books. This is a great contribution. [Time expired.] [Applause.]