The third Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology held between South Africa and Mozambique from 13 to 15 April 2011, in Maputo ended with a joint commitment to expedite the installation of Mozambique’s first radio telescope by early 2012, and to submit the site readiness reports for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) bid on schedule. The South African delegation was led by Minister Naledi Pandor and the Mozambican delegation by Professor Venâncio Massingue.
The meeting identified skills development and the training of students in radio astronomy as areas on which to focus to ensure that the partner countries participated in the SKA project. The South African Ministry of Science and Technology therefore committed to assisting Mozambique in establishing its radio astronomy observatory (MRAO), which should reach operational levels by early next year.
This will demonstrate Africa's collective determination and capacity to the international SKA community ahead of the final decision on the host of the SKA. However, determined and focused effort will be required from both countries if we are to succeed, and both countries will need to mobilise the necessary financial, planning, skills development and engineering resources urgently.
In this regard South Africa has agreed to make R500 000 available immediately to begin the preliminary work on developing the Maluane site for the radio telescope. The South African SKA Project Office and Department of Science and Technology will also work with Mozambique to develop a plan for the installation of the first radio telescope at Maluane.
The radio telescope in Maluane will be used for postgraduate student research and teaching programmes at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. The SKA site stations in Mozambique, which are in the central region, will form part of the global facility built by the global SKA consortium if Africa wins the bid.
The SKA site selection group has set 15 September 2011 as the deadline for both South Africa and Australia to submit their site readiness reports. The report requires information on the following, among other things:- Land acquisition and availability (400 m x 400 m per station).
- Radio frequency interference management.
- Environmental impact assessment process.
- Facilitation of a free flow of people and equipment for the SKA project.
- Facilitation of access to inexpensive research bandwidth.
South Africa is bidding to host the SKA on behalf of Africa. The African bid includes eight partner and associate countries, namely, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritius, Madagascar, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana and Namibia.
The South African Ministry of Science and Technology enjoys cordial relations with the Ministry of Science and Technology in Mozambique. The relationship has been characterised by a continuous exchange on matters of mutual interest for a period of three years.
South Africa and Mozambique signed a bilateral agreement on science and technology cooperation in July 2006 and since then there have been two joint committee meetings. Mozambique and South Africa also established research projects and hosted a workshop on climate change, and are actively collaborating on the SKA project.
The third joint committee meeting agreed to strengthen collaboration on joint research in the following areas:
- Biosciences
- Space science
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Environment and climate change
- Mathematical sciences
- Energy
The parties also reported on progress with regard to the South Africa-Mozambique joint research fund which is being administered by the National Research Foundation (South Africa) and the National Research Fund (Mozambique). In the next three years the respective funding agencies will each contribute R2 million annually for joint research. During the first round of research collaboration five university degrees were completed (two PhDs, one MSc and two BScs).
The parties reported progress with regard to climate change, and resolved to strengthen cooperation on climate change adaptation, integrated water resources management, and risks and vulnerability, as well as on key agenda items ahead of the COP17 conference to be hosted in Durban in December 2011.
The parties agreed that the South African National Research Network would collaborate with the Mozambique Research and Education Network to enable African researchers to have the facilities to work with their international peers and to widen Africa’s research base.
Both Mozambique and South Africa agreed to collaborate on launching Mozambique's academic and research chairs programme. They also agreed to work together in multilateral institutions such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Committee, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICEGB), and the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI). Minister Pandor is the co-chair of ANDI, together with Dr Beth Mugo, the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation in Kenya, and South Africa hosts one of the three ICEGB research facilities.
Enquiries:
Tommy Makhode (Ministry of Science and Technology in South Africa)
Cell: 082 379 8268
E-mail: Tommy.Makhode@dst.gov.za
Lunga Ngqengelele
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: Lunga.Ngqengelele@dst.gov.za
Dr Rufino Gujamo
Ministry of Science and Technology, Mozambique
Tel: +258 82 125 6660
E-mail: rufino.gujamo@mct.gov.mz
