Antarctica
12 February 2009
International dignitaries including Science and Technology Minister, Dr
Mosibudi Mangena, have been invited to attend the opening ceremony of the new
German research station in Antarctica. The research station, Neumayer III, will
be officially opened on Thursday, 19 February 2009. Germany and South Africa
have long-standing relations in science and technology, and both countries have
played a pioneering role in Antarctica. The continent is one of the most
uninhabitable places on earth, and is therefore of great interest to
scientists. The processes that take place in the Antarctic regions affect the
world's oceans and climate, linking the continent inextricably to what we
experience thousands of kilometres away.
South Africa has been involved in Antarctica since it signed the Antarctic
Treaty in 1959, and it is currently the only African country to have a presence
on the continent. South Africa maintains bases on the Antarctic mainland as
well as on Marion and Gough Islands. The research conducted in Antarctica
covers a broad spectrum of research disciplines, from physics and engineering
to oceanography and biodiversity.
South Africa has been operating a weather station on Gough Island since
1956. Although Gough Island is British, the land the station is built on is
leased to South Africa and treated as part of the magisterial district of Cape
Town. The South African Weather Service relies heavily on climate observations
and oceanographic data from the station for forecasts, which are vital for
agriculture and air traffic, for example.
The Antarctic Research Strategy for South Africa has research themes
structured around variability in the geosciences, physical sciences and life
sciences. Other themes focus on the impact and sustainability of the human
presence in Antarctica, as well as the history, sociology and politics of South
Africa's long-term presence in the region.
South Africa is a founder member of the interdisciplinary Scientific
Committee on Antarctic Research, which operates within the International
Council of Science (ICSU) framework.
The strategic and scientific value of the Antarctic resulted in the
establishment of the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), which
ensures that South Africa remains party to informed decision-making on matters
in the region. SANAP's mission is to increase our understanding of the natural
environment and life in the Antarctic and Southern Oceans through appropriate
science and technology.
PS: Minister Mangena will be available for interviews as of 16 February 2009
before he leaves for Antarctica.
For media enquiries contact
Nhlanhla Nyide
Tel: 012 843 6793
Cell: 082 781 6767
Issued by: Department Science and Technology
12 February 2009
Source: SAPA
