Programme directors
The Executive Mayor of Rustenburg local municipality, Councillor Matthews Wolmarans
The Executive Mayor of Bojanala Platinum district municipality, Councillor Lobang Raymond Motsepe
Chairperson of the North West Research Coordinating Committee, Professor T Job Mokgoro
Director General for the North West provincial government, Mme Nana Magomola
Heads of departments, delegates from institutions of higher education, research institutions, business sector, municipalities, provincial departments, national government, non-government organisations
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Members of the fourth estate, the media
I am honoured to on behalf of the Honourable Premier, Mme Maureen Modiselle who unfortunately could not be with us due to other pressing official engagements but has requested me to stand in for her and to convey her well wishes to this auspicious event.
As a developmental state that is emerging from the morass of apartheid, we have come to realise that research is an important focus area in the process of transformation, development and growth. It is of paramount importance and crucial for any organisation that places development at its centre as it provides what is required in making informed decisions to advance development and accelerate service delivery amongst other issues that are pertinent to uplifting the quality of lives of our people.
In 2002, the leadership of the North West provincial government realised a serious weakness in research capacity and consequently the development of relevant information on which to base decision making. The provincial leadership therefore established a Directorate for Research and Population Development in the Office of the Premier with the key function to address the weak research capacity in the North West provincial government.
Concurrent with the establishment of the Directorate for Research and Population Development was the creation of the North West Research Coordinating Committee (NWRCC) with the Directorate for Research and Population Development as its secretariat to coordinate research work in the province. Both establishments have been enjoying support from the provincial government in various ways for their existence and functioning.
The key objective of the both the Directorate for Research and Population and NWRCC is to see to it that research exists in the province. We therefore appeal to all government departments to prioritise the establishment of research units. It is only but appropriate to state that the support from the provincial government has contributed to the growth of research work from strength to strength yielding the results that are being celebrated to date.
The provincial government has provided funding for research work in the province and making important pronouncements on the work that the Directorate for Research and Population and NWRCC is doing regarding research in the province. The support is also seen in the decision taken by the executive committee that chairpersons of cluster committees should become members of the NWRCC this is a decision that would give the NWRCC new life and transform its work into tangible results for the province.
We recognise the critical contribution that academics can make towards sustainable development through relevant research policy contributions and advisory services; hence we have co-opted reputable research institutions in the country as additional members of the NWRCC to beef-up the good work being done by the committee.
The institutions that we have bought on board Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), National Research Foundation (NRF), Human Science Research Council (HSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
We believe that the co-option of these highly acclaimed research institutions would add tremendous value to the research goals that the provincial government has set for research in the province. Furthermore the approval granted by executive committee that the NWRCC should raise donor funding for research work is another great milestone in advancing research in the province.
Concerted efforts are being made to raise donor funds to complement the mega budget allocations that the provincial government has been providing for research work amidst other competing demands or issues like poverty alleviation to mention a few. The North West Provincial Government Research Showcase is one of the key activities of the North West Research Coordinating Committee. During the 2008 North West provincial government inaugural research showcase held on 7 May, one of the key pronouncements by the then Premier Mme Edna Molewa was that the North West Provincial Government Research Showcase should be an annual event. This pronouncement reaffirmed the intentions of the NWRCC to stage the research showcase event on an annual basis.
Last year’s research showcase was a one day event whereas this year’s showcase event is being planned to be held over two days. We appreciate the decision of the NWRCC to rotate the event among the four districts of the province namely Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Bojanala. As such, Bojanala district is hosting the 2009 Research Showcase event in the city of Rustenburg. The NWRCC also plans to increase each year’s research showcase event by one additional day until one week duration is achieved in the fifth year (2012) of organising the event.
Presentations and exhibitions will attempt to address the specific objectives outlined below with a view to give effect to the key priorities of our government of today. It is the contention of the NWRCC that presentations and exhibitions that address the key priorities of the current government should preferably be studies that have been completed or are currently being undertaken on our provincial situation. The problem statement and recommendations of such studies must address key challenges so as to assist the province to chart the way forward towards improving policy implementation and service delivery to the people of the province.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is therefore appropriate for us to ponder some key aspects of the North West Research Showcase namely; theme, aim, objectives and the presentations to be made at the showcase event. The theme of the research showcase is ‘Accelerating socio-economic change through research’ whereas the aim is: “to promote the importance of research information in decision making for policy implementation and service delivery”.
In pursuing the achievement of the aim set for this event, it is planned to highlight the value and importance of research information in policy development, formulation, implementation and evaluation by decision makers on service delivery. This provides the platform on which the broad objectives and specific objectives have been set as follows.
The broad objectives which the NWRCC plans to achieve are:
- to highlight the value of research knowledge in decision making
- to enhance the role of the NWRCC in coordinating policy relevant research in the province
- to facilitate dialogue and networking between research institutions and government departments.
Among specific objectives that we have been set for the 2009 North West Provincial Government Research Showcase are to highlight the successes and constraints of policy implementation and service delivery in the priority of education, health, rural development, fighting against crime and corruption and creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
In his state of the province address on Friday, 15 January 2002, the former Premier of the North West Province, Dr Popo Molefe identified a serious weakness in research capacity and consequently the development of relevant information on which to base decision making. He announced the establishing in his Office of a Research Directorate that would begin to address the identified gap. The Directorate for Research and Population was then tasked with the following key functions:
- the facilitation of a research and population development culture in the province
- the establishment of a system and structure for research and population development funding in the province
- the provision of professional secretariat service to the North West Provincial Research, Science and Technology Committee.
- the creation and maintenance of a research and population data warehouse
- the linking of national, provincial and international research findings in support of provincial policy process
- the undertaking and commissioning of research in support of provincial decision making
- the integration of population policy and issues into planning process.
The coordination and integration of research with other initiatives is required to avoid duplication and waste of valuable time, energy and money. Research projects should have practical application linked to the provincial priorities.
In conclusion research should inform policy. Every government or country should take research seriously if it needs to develop. Let us think, discuss and reason together as government, universities and business how we can enhance research within the North West provincial government.
Ke a leboga.
Source: Department of Safety, North West Provincial Government
