Speaking notes, Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, public participation programme, Giyani, Limpopo
MEC for Basic Education in Limpopo, Mr Kgetjepe;
Executive Mayor of the Greater Giyani Local Municipality, Councillor Hlungwani;
Deputy Executive Mayor of the Mopani District, Councillor Rakgoane;
The traditional leaders with us today:
Avuxeni, Good morning.
This morning I had the pleasure of handing over the Career Centre at the Giyani Science Centre, just a few metres away from this stadium. The centre should be used as a source of knowledge for young people who intend studying at higher education institutions towards their chosen careers, and by everyone who is interested in how our world works.
I was extremely pleased to learn that more and more young people are going there to find out about careers in science, technology, mathematics and engineering. They are part of the pipeline of human capital that we need to nurture to feed the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers, in line with our National Development Plan. Our vision for 2030 clearly places science, technology and innovation at the centre of the country’s socio-economic development.
I had the opportunity to visit the Hi Hanyile Essential Oils project, also in Giyani. This project shows how science, technology and innovation can be used for economic development and to stimulate small, medium and micro enterprises.
The DST has been collaborating with our entity the CSIR to establish a commercial-scale cultivation, distillation and candle-manufacturing factory here, and the factory was set up in 2005 as part of the Hi Hanyile project.
I am thrilled to report that the DST is in the process of handing over Hi Hanyile to the Dzundze community trust, whose representatives are here with us today.
We have commissioned a team of agricultural economists to assist in developing a business plan, including a business model that capitalises on existing and future initiatives, and that identifies sources of revenue, products, potential customers and partners that will enable Hi Hanyile to access other sources of funding. This process is led by Datacomb, a company of agricultural economists, will be concluded by the end of this month, September 2015.
We are confident that, as envisaged in the National Development Plan, initiatives like Hi Hanyile will contribute to government efforts to fight poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Government has made huge advances in ensuring that millions of South Africans now have access to water, health care, education, housing and many other basic services which they did not have before 1994. However, we need to do more to eradicate the economic and social legacy of apartheid and defeat the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
I would like to remind you that the current government is continuing to assist municipalities to improve service delivery through initiatives such as Back-to-Basics. This will ensure that every municipality provides citizens with basic services such as water and electricity supply, and refuse collection.
Also, government will be introducing further measures to speed up the employment of young people in line with the Youth Employment Accord, and by expanding the number of internships in the public sector.
I thank you. Na khensa!
