Deputy Minister Gina's Budget Vote Speech on Science, Technology and Innovation, National Assembly
Honourable Chairperson
Honourable Members
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Honourable Prof. Blade Nzimande
Chairperson of our Portfolio Committee, Honourable Tsakani Shiviti
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee of Science, Technology and Innovation
Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Mlungisi Cele
Chairpersons and CEOs of our entities
Exco and officials of our department
Ladies and gentlemen
Honourable Chairperson, it is my single honour to table this budget together with Minister Nzimande. It is about a year since this 7th Administration was formed, and we were assigned the task to steer this department for the next remaining years.
The addition of innovation by the President as a strategic and additional focus has elicited a pivot from the old Science and Technology to Science, Technology and Innovation. We have agreed that STI as a system cannot be an exclusive pastime for the elite and the most educated, nor should it reside within certain sectors at the exclusion of the rest.
Our totalising approach is best captured in our new mantra: “Placing science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry and society.” Our National System of Innovation (NSI) will require all hands on deck from all the different sectors and constituencies.
Chairperson, it was Alan Kay who famously said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” At the DSTI we subscribe to this notion from an STI point of view.
1. Taking STI to sub-national level
Honourable Chairperson, in my maiden budget speech last year, I made a commitment towards the establishment of the Municipal Innovation Fund (MIF). I am here to report that we have established this fund, and we have started to work with municipalities in this regard. The fund will allow municipalities to apply for funding to implement technology and innovation projects that meet the set requirements.
Working with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), we have been implementing the Municipal Innovation Maturity Index (MIMI), through which we host the Municipal Innovation Recognition Awards (MIRA) to recognise the municipalities that have adopted technology and innovation in delivering services to the citizens. We intend to expand the MIF as part of the District Development Model to municipalities to help build capacities for basic service delivery.
2. Building industry relationship with STI
Chairperson, one of the stark challenges we seek to address is the industry relationship with science, technology and innovation. Government is clear that without industry investment in innovation and the industry not seeing itself as part of the NSI, we will not succeed as a country in advancing like the rest of the world. Accordingly, we have begun a process of engaging business leadership in this regard to invest in STI for the country.
Our engagement with industry is strongly with South African companies, but we are engaging with multinational companies within the ecosystem as well. Last month, through Minister Nzimande, the department signed a Letter of Intent with the Chinese company, Huawei. The key areas of focus contained in the letter of intent is partnership in the information and communication technologies with emphasis on artificial intelligence, research and innovation.
Honourable Members, our engagement with business also includes the national drive to renew the intake of STEM subjects in our schools, working with the Department of Basic Education. As part of building future STEM-related professional pipeline, we seek private sector funding for STEM-related infrastructure, especially in rural and township schools.
3. Indigenous Knowledge Systems work
The department continues to advance the work around Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). The department has worked with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, North-West University and University of Venda to pilot the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) qualification for Traditional Health Practitioners.
We have invested in new IKS-based laboratories at the universities of Venda, Pretoria and Free State, and are also in the process of implementing phase 1 of our IKS Bio-Innovation Institute. Our African Legacy Medical Cannabis Programme is being implemented in 18 communities throughout the country as part of the Cannabis Industrialisation Masterplan.
Lastly on IKS, work continues towards building the Nyandeni Smart Village pilot project in the Eastern Cape working with the local municipality, Venda and North-West universities. We intend to build the second Smart Village in KZN, after the Zulu Royal approached the department on building a second Smart Village in kwaNobamba, Nongoma municipality.
4. Grassroots innovation and youth programmes
Honourable Chairperson, the Grassroots Innovation Programme (GIP) remains an important instrument to achieve an inclusive approach into the system of innovation. It is important in that it elevates township, rural and youth innovators and inventors who may not even have formal education and capabilities to build their innovative trials into commercial prototypes.
The programme links grassroots innovators to subject matter experts located in advanced facilities to innovate further for commercialisation. This work will be expanded in various rural and townships identified by the department.
In this financial year, there is going to be a particular focus on grassroots innovation for the people living with disabilities in our society.
With regards to the youth programme, the DSTI has a partnership with the Green Youth Network in what represents a significant milestone in the efforts to include youth in skills, SMEs and societal impact. Others are the annual Green Youth Indaba, Innovation Spotlight, Global Investment Forum, Skills Cultivation and Community Outreach.
Gender dimension to the STI work
Apart from the mainstreaming of women in all our programmes as a gender target, the department has specific empowering programmes for women. Among these programmes are research grants targeting women for post-graduate funding that places 55% of beneficiaries to be women.
Additionally, we have targeted programmes such as the Women in Science Awards, Black Women in Science Programme, and Women in Hydrogen. We commit to the implementation of these interventions under this financial year as part of our gender lens to increase the number of women into science, technology and innovation.
Honourable Members, I conclude by taking this opportunity to thank Minister Nzimande, with whom our working relations are ironclad. I want to thank the new Director-General and the senior management of the department for their amazing support. I also want to thank the Portfolio Committee for their qualitative oversight role towards us and the leadership they provide, all the time. We thank you very much.
Thank you.
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