Mayor of uMhlathuze Municipality, Cllr Ngwezi.
Acting Municipal Manager, Mr. Mhlongo.
Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Khumalo.
The Recipients of the Awards.
School representatives.
Ladies and gentlemen.
I am excited to have been invited on such an occasion by Mayor to honor the awardees today. I am elated that the City of uMhlathuze is also paying attention to the issue of youth unemployment and a focus on STEM.
As a country in general and uMhlathuze area included, we are facing the pressing issue of youth unemployment and low skills. The low level of skills is becoming a significant threat to its job creation initiatives.
We are here to congratulate the city for deciding on tackling the youth unemployment challenge. The Youth Economic Empowerment Program (YEEP) that you launched in 2021 is notable. I am told that the YEEP is a comprehensive youth development program aimed at addressing the challenges faced by both in-school and out-of-school youth, with three pillars. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is one of the key components.
As the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), we are paying particular focus on revamping the enrolment numbers of learners taking STEM subjects in schools – at foundation level. We want to improve the skills and professional pipeline of the STEM related jobs as part of re-industrialisation efforts, and innovation.
South Africa’s ability to compete globally and address national challenges through innovation depends on its investment in human capital development. However, the critical gaps that persist in STEM education undermine our efforts to build the necessary research and innovation capacity and as well as the technical skills for a knowledge economy, particularly among historically marginalised groups. The Science, Technology and innovation (STI) Decadal Plan (2022-2032) and the White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation underscore the need for inclusive capacity-building initiatives to bridge these gaps and position STI as a central driver of national development.
We are engaging industry players and a number of stakeholders to reinvest in the STEM related infrastructure in our schools. We would like to have the municipality as our trusted partner in this regard. Richards Bay has concentration of large manufacturing companies that requires STEM related workforce. The relevant skills supply side must be generated much more from the institutions within this region through perfecting the teaching of STEM related subjects at school level.
The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation has been supporting schools in uMhlathuze City. The department has funded the Nka’Thuto EduPropeller initiative. This initiative will implement project activities to support grade 12 learners by fostering a culture of youth entrepreneurship and enhancing their ability to identify ideas that can be commercialized. These ideas will be channelled into the Grassroots Innovation Program (GIP) for further support.
During research on designing an effective and responsive STEM program, the city learned about the Technology for Rural Education and Development Program previously implemented by the DSTI. It also discovered the Sisanda App—a virtual laboratory platform for physical science aimed at grade 12 students—and the Digital Schools Communicator, which enables teacher-parent communication. Both tools have been successfully deployed in parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province through the Technology Acquisition and Deployment Fund (TADF). The TADF is a DSTI initiative designed to facilitate the acquisition of locally developed South African technologies for deployment within municipalities and sector departments to aid their market entry.
The city has also indicated to DSTI the need to improve connectivity for schools in and around the rural areas surrounding Amangwe High School. I have been assured that my Departmental Officials are engaged with the city to explore support for its initiative regarding school connectivity. The City’s goal of supporting grade 12 students in mathematics and engineering careers aligns with the work of the DSTI.
Improving educational outcomes in rural schools requires collaboration beyond a single government department or municipality. Partnerships between national and local governments, businesses, and civil society is essential. In this regard, the Department has finalized a partnership agreement (MoU) with the city of uMhlathuze to support the STEM initiative in schools in and around the city, as well as the City’s agenda for adopting technologies and innovations that can enhance the delivery of basic services.
The partnership between the DSTI and uMhlathuze City also aligns with the DSTI’s objectives of strengthening Science, Technology, and Innovation initiatives in district municipalities as part of the District Development Model (DDM) and creating a meaningful societal impact through innovation for inclusivity, as outlined in the Decadal Plan.
As part of this initiative, the Sisanda App—an SMME funded by the DSTI for Amangwe High School—will distribute over 150 tablets to Amangwe High School and other additional schools in the Matshana area of Empangeni, as per the uMhlathuze City/DSTI partnership agreement.
We are here today as partners to the mandate of assisting schools to bridge digital gaps, improve on STEM and introduce technology. The three above assistance we are lending to the city is a testimony of our commitment. I want to congratulate the awardees today and wish them all the best!
Thank you.
