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MINISTER BEN NGUBANE, MP, TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC ON THE FUNCTIONING OF ITHEMBA LABORATORIES AS PART OF GOVERNMENT IMBIZO FOCUS WEEK
The Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane, MP, on Saturday, 12 October 2002, will visit the Ithemba Laboratories at Faure in the Western Cape to interact with the community on the role of the Ithemba laboratories. This visit is part of the Imbizo Focus Week emanating from the Cabinet Lekgotla held in July 2002, which makes provision for Ministers to directly intensify their interaction with the public.
The Ithemba laboratories is the leading nuclear science facility in South Africa that reports to the Minister of Science and Technology through the National Research Foundation (NRF). It focuses on the following three main areas of research that are:
* Fundamental nuclear physics;
* Treatment of cancer by means of radiation; and
* Radioisotope production
The Ithemba laboratories, as a result of availability of proton and neutron beams as the key feature, is a unique piece of technology infrastructure for our country, given the significant number of cancer patients receiving treatment, and seeing that proton and neutron beams are not available elsewhere in South Africa.
The Ithemba laboratories facility was established prior to 1994 and has subsequently made huge progress in developing a significant number of black nuclear specialists. Bursaries for study at various universities are awarded to students in order to promote research that would benefit the community. In particular, the University of North West is running a M.Sc. degree in radiation, which depends heavily on support from Ithemba. Therefore, Ithemba laboratories represent an important technological infrastructure, which the post 1994 management has succeeded in aligning with the transformation goals.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is confident that Ithemba laboratories represents a milestone for scientific research that will continue to yield positive spin-offs to improve the quality of the lives of our people.
Members of the public, school kids, scientists, academics, MECs for culture, sports and recreation, members of the portfolio committee on arts, culture, science and technology and senior officials of government are expected to attend this event.
NB. THE MEDIA IS INVITED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT.
DETAILS OF THE EVENT:
Date: Saturday, 12 October 2002
Time: 11H30
Venue: Faure, take N2 from Cape Town towards Stellenbosch (Western Cape)
Contact: Andrew Aphane, Ministerial Spokesperson at: 082 387 5615 or (012) 337-8102
Issued by Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
8 October 2002