Minister Pandor's speech to the Human Sciences Research Council 2016 research conference, Indaba Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg
The social sciences have a critical role to play in helping us to understand our changing country, our changing continent, and our changing world.
The HSRC has made poverty and inequality a consistent focus of its work.
In regard to poverty, South Africa has done much since 1994 to reduce its impact. Government social grants and the work of both the public and the private sectors has helped immensely. Many more people now have access to safe water, sanitation, and electricity while payment for water and electricity has now become more affordable for the poor.
These developments have made life easier for many South Africans.
In regard to inequality, South Africa has not done well at all. Recent HSRC analyses show an increase in both intra-race and inter-raceinequality. Wealth and poverty continue to reflect our racially divided past. South Africa's gini coefficient, that indicator that measures economic inequality, shows that we are one of the most unequal countries in the world.
South African policy has focussed more on pulling poor citizens out of absolute poverty than on inequality.
The focus on inequality is a new one.
Professor Murray Leibbrandt, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, Mr Tsediso Matona, and Ms Kefiloe Masiteng, ignited the debate on this theme at the opening plenary earlier today.
They are contributing to a global inequality debate that was kick-started by Thomas Picketty, the award-winning French economist. Piketty's work on historical patterns of global inequality has been a publishing phenomenon in the English-speaking world over the past few years. No other academic work has been so widely discussed or so frequently bought online or from book shops. He gave the Mandela lecture last year.
Piketty has shown us that inequality is worse now than fifty years ago in the developed world. Piketty also tells us that inequality arises from inherited wealth and not from innovative and 'disruptive' technology. Piketty's work is so important because he shows that inequality matters. There are economists who don’t think it does. They think that inequality leads to more efficient and faster growing economies. What we have learned is that unequal enrichment leads inevitably to economic failure.
What can be done about inequality?
Piketty punts a wealth tax, but acknowledges that education is the great leveller. The most effective way to tackle inequality is through education. Education is fundamental to the achievement of the society envisaged in the Freedom Charter. Clearly we need to do more in maths and science education. Doing well in maths and science at school makes it easier to do well in maths and science in tertiary education and that means a better chance of useful employment in our science-and-technology-driven world.
South Africa is fortunate to boast excellence in a large number of cutting-edge science and technology domains.
In the DST we drive research and innovation in five priority areas - in bio-sciences for public health and food security; in better understanding and mitigating the impact of global change; in achieving energy security; in optimally exploiting the potential of space science and technology; and putting science and technology to work in tackling poverty and exclusion in our society in transition.
With regard to the bio-sciences, our goal is to ensure our scientific excellence will translate into the development of South Africa’s own pharmaceutical industry, which will create jobs.
In the area of global change, we are also well placed to take up opportunities in the green economy, with exciting plans for example in the field of waste research and innovation.
In regard to energy security, we are expanding our work in the renewable energy field, especially solar, and are well placed to become an important player in the lucrative lithium-ion battery market.
With regard to space science, South Africa is recognised as a space nation, but more pertinently as a nation successful investing in space science to improve the quality of life.
Last, the DST programmes to lift people out of poverty especially in remote rural areas through science- and technology-based interventions have attracted huge international interest from respected partners, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. South Africa is now at the forefront of innovative programmes to provide decent sanitation service delivery to impoverished communities. Our CSIR’s “wireless mesh network”, which brings internet connectivity to rural areas, is narrowing the digital divide and enables micro enterprise development in poverty-stricken areas.
Myvision for South Africa is of dynamic and connected information society based on an economy that is inclusive and prosperous.
The HSRC has a critical contribution to make to the achievement of such a society.
I call on all social scientists in South Africa – at the HSRC and other institutions – to continue to contribute to making South Africa a better place.
I'm confident that you will use this two-day conference to find innovative ways to move our country forward towards a fair and just society.
