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13 January 2009

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to this historic occasion, the launch of the Moses Kotane Institute.

First and foremost, allow me to welcome you to the New Year. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the people of our beautiful province, as KwaZulu-Natal is completing its most stable, peaceful and democratic five years in its history. We wish you everything of the best in 2009.

I often wonder why many young people and graduates, generally, fear to venture into the world of science and technology. Engineering and mathematics are other areas not, frequently, ventured into. With our recent crop of matriculants, I am hoping that our clarion call to enter the fields of Maths and Science will be heeded.

I had a small mirror into the world of science on Wednesday, last week, when I participated in a debate on SAFM on the recent storms which ravaged our province between 3 and 4 January 2009, and which claimed about 16 lives. Scientists tried to scientifically explain the recent weather patterns and storms in KwaZulu-Natal. Rarely in the history of our country have our deficiencies in scientific and technological sophistication been, as glaringly, exposed as during the current weather conditions.

Saving lives with science

The tidal waves, veld fires and storms that have wreaked havoc and sown destruction through the length and breadth of our province, in the last couple of months, have ruthlessly exposed our shortcomings in these essential fields of science and technology.

Science and technology should be used to assist us to develop the know how and expertise to be able to predict the build up and onset of natural disasters, which means cultivating enough expertise to track weather patterns as they develop in the earth’s atmosphere, and take pre-emptive actions to minimise their disastrous effects on us and our developing communities.

Needless to say, such natural disasters set us back, severely, in terms of development. As I announced at a media briefing last week, in terms of current statistics, just for the storm that hit our province on 3 and 4 January 2009, we have an estimated number of about 4 017 households that have been affected; a total number of 12 736 people affected and 83 people who have been displaced. At this stage, the damage is estimated in excess of R100 million. Since 2007 in KwaZulu-Natal alone, the costs associated with tidal waves, veld fires and storms amount to billions of rands.

However, this is not unique to our country and province. As is well known, in 2005 about 1 800 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in the United State (US).

The largest concentration of scientists are, probably, in the US, but more than three years later the city of New Orleans has not been able to restore their people’s lives to normality, and are still counting the costs which have been estimated at 81 billion US dollars. Engineering was just the first in a perfect storm of factors which culminated in the devastation.

South Africa has come a long way in the fields of science and technology, being one of the leaders, if not the leader on the African continent.

Yet, even though we have made such advances as developing a weather tracking satellite, we still depend on other countries such as the United States of America and Russia for their launch and deployment in the orbits in outer space and, more recently, Hyderabad in India with its silicone valley.

Taking the plunge

This, obviously, comes with a huge price tag, minimising our finances which could be better ploughed into further scientific and technological research and study. It also places our scientific development at the mercy of diplomatic, bureaucratic and technocratic hitches which have, for instance, so far delayed the launch of another critical deployment of a South African satellite, named Sumbandila, with Russia. The satellite will be used to download images of South Africa from space, to help policymakers study land use patterns and make decisions regarding infrastructure plans.

Being classified, internationally, as a “developing country” should not hinder us in our scientific and technological endeavours, as China and India proved recently. As some of us will recall, China last year successfully launched its first “manned” spacecraft which later landed back safely on earth. The Indians then followed by sending an unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota, about 100 km north of the southern Indian city of Chennai. The satellite was sent to map the surface of the moon for scientific advanced purposes. These are, without doubt, big boosts to the scientific and technological endeavours of other developing states, South Africa included.

The Moses Kotane Institute

For many years to come, 13 January 2009 will be a constant reminder of the true greatness of our leaders who sacrificed their all to make South Africa what it is today. One such leader is Comrade Moses Kotane. It is indeed a great honour for me to witness this launch of the Moses Kotane Institute. Most importantly, we are building upon the political successes Comrade Kotane made. He developed a road map which guides us on where we should go, and what we should do to attain political liberation and a better life for all. The remarkable strength and resilience he showed, despite prevailing harsh conditions, should motivate us to work hard for economic liberation.

Born on 9 August 1905, Comrade Kotane was the product of the Communist Party and the ANC, where he served as a member of the National Executive Committee. He represented the intelligentsia of this country, the academic par excellence and always wanted to push the frontiers of knowledge, inquiry and consequent action.

He was inspired by the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. His thirst and yearning for freedom enabled him to motivate people to endure many years of hardship while, at the same time, rising against all odds to fight for their political freedom.

He believed in unity. He showed zeal and displayed patriotism during a series of mass protests such as the defiance campaign of 1952, the Treason Trial of 1956 to 1961 and underground activities in 1960 during the State of Emergency. The contribution that he made when he undertook diplomatic missions, on behalf of the ANC in the 60s, led to the international community denouncing the apartheid system. South Africa was blessed to have leaders such as Comrade Moses Kotane.

Socio-economic challenges unique to our country

The launch of this institute, therefore, should be viewed as a continuation of his work to liberalise South Africa. Lest we forget that, while Comrade Kotane was working hard to promote the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom, in sharp contrast, H F Verwoed was strategising how to, systematically, exclude the majority of South Africans from playing a meaningful role in this country.

Outlining his education policy, Verwoed remarked: “When I have control of native education I will reform it so natives will be taught from childhood to realise that equality with Europeans is not for them: People who believe in equality are not desirable teachers for natives.”

He further noted: “There is no place for an African in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour. For that reason it is of no value for him to receive training which has its aims and absorption in the European community. Until now he has been subjected to a school system which drew him away from his own community and misled him by showing him the greener pastures of the European society in which he is not allowed to graze.”

Reflecting on what Verwoed said in the 60s, it becomes apparent that redressing the imbalances of the past is a fundamental duty. Clearly, Blacks were primarily trained to become tradesmen and semi skilled labourers. The only reason why Blacks were allowed to work, according to the apartheid system, was to maximise the entry of the White minority into the mainstream economy and to ensure their job security.

As a result, only a few of the Black students in the public schools aspired beyond their mediocre training to higher education levels. Those who did were segregated into Black universities under the Extension to University Education Act. Only 14% of Black students reached secondary school, and even fewer furthered their education to university level.

As government, we are fully aware that one enormous challenge is to ensure that the democratic processes that we are witnessing today are enjoyed by all South Africans, especially those who suffered as a result of Verwoed’s education policy.

The devastating effects of the apartheid system on previously disadvantaged communities are clearly visible. Those effects include damage to parenting abilities and impaired ability to function normally, which has included an inability to access economic opportunities.

Young people are the most vulnerable members of our society and they need to be protected from the prolonged negative effects of the apartheid system. If we do not protect young people, make no doubt we will be found guilty of causing long term serious harm to their ability to function normally. We will be accused of contributing to the total destruction and neglect of the human potential of our country.

Ladies and gentlemen, today we are gathered to reaffirm government’s belief in the power of education. Economic growth comes from talent and knowledge. Research, innovation, science and technology are crucial tools to be used to stimulate growth and to strengthen our economy, and eventually ensure a better life for future generations.

This is what the Moses Kotane Institute is all about.

Mathematics, Science and technology programmes, to be rolled-out by the institute, will be consistent with pro-growth policies, and not oppose them. Science and technology represent a major opportunity for world development. However, if not consistent with pro-poor policies, science and technology may increase rather than diminish the existing inequalities.

The institute to support the Agrarian Revolution

It is also pleasing to note that the Moses Kotane Institute will support the agrarian revolution. What impressed me in the institute’s business plan is the focus on agricultural science. The BSC4 programme targets students from disadvantaged schools who attained full matric exemption, but do not meet the requirements to be admitted directly into the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at a tertiary institution. These are students that would have done Mathematics and Science (Physical Science or Biology or Agricultural Science) at secondary school.

We all know that scientific studies are being conducted, at an international level, in an attempt to minimise the negative impact of global warming. Global warming and climate change are major environmental threats. Africa should not be left behind in cross-cutting studies aimed at dealing with these threats.

Research indicates that agro-ecological systems are the most vulnerable sectors in Africa. Climates of many countries, including South Africa, are already too hot and further warming is expected to reduce crop productivity, which would really affect government’s Agrarian Revolution. Therefore, we have a responsibility, as the provincial government, to develop practices that will sustain government’s Agrarian Revolution programme, and protect our natural resources at the same time.

Systems, in which more resources could be mobilized to support human development, have also been put in place by the institute. I am happy to announce that formal links have been forged with the following organisations and institutions:
* National Department of Education will regulate all programmes; and
* The eThekwini Further Education and Training (FET) College, University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Pretoria will support the institute by offering some parts of modules.

Programmes have also been developed to ensure that public servants and members of the Legislature are equipped to achieve provincially defined socio-economic goals. In this regard, there is a potential for collaboration and linkages with the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Labour (DoL).

All these departments are directly involved in level three agencies for research and development, such as Medical Research Council (MRC), Water Research Commission (WRC), National Research Foundation (NRF), South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Addressing the negative effects of Apartheid

Critically, the Moses Kotane Institute has put in place several ways to ensure that experiences of technological revolution can be shared with those who participated in the struggle against apartheid. This will bring long lasting benefits, not only to those who struggled against Apartheid but to their families and communities in which they live.

Under Apartheid, millions of South Africans were uprooted from their homes by political violence. They were also forcefully removed from areas declared “white” only to remote underdeveloped areas. Those who had no formal jobs, or considered unproductive, were forced to leave, and if they had no homes, they were sent to resettlement villages.

Permission for an African to reside in a prescribed urban area had to be granted; it was not a right. As mentioned earlier, an African had to be in the city for one specific purpose, namely, to provide labour. Having attained democracy, it cannot be correct to spend very little to develop a skilled and knowledgeable society.

Developing a skilled and knowledgeable society, what does this mean? This has a particular significance for Africa because of higher levels of poverty. As I have always pointed out: the ability to compete in the global front is dependent on training and mentoring. As you know, unfortunately, the reality in our country is that the wealth of a child’s family is very likely to determine that child’s access to a decent education. Government, through the Moses Kotane Institute, appropriately seeks to invest in human development thus ensuring access to quality education. There is clear evidence of a link between human development and sustained economic growth.

Studies show that sustained economic growth increases employment opportunities, which results in incentives for families to invest in their children’s education. This investment may lead to the emergence of a new group of entrepreneurs, who will ensure that economic growth is sustained for future generations.

Also, strong economic growth advances human development. Equally, weak economic growth results in poor human development which in turn contributes to economic decline.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, time is ticking!
If ever, there was a time for the leadership in KwaZulu-Natal to stand up and chart the way forward, it is now. I wish to congratulate Dr. Zweli Mkhize, Dr. Nqaba Ngcobo and the team that has worked tirelessly to open the doors to the Moses Kotane Institute. South Africa’s transition to democracy has given its citizens the power to influence and direct the direction of the country. This signals the need for a new approach, an approach which requires today’s leaders to define development priorities, plan for the attainment and partner with other organisations to ensure success.

Masisukume Sakhe!

Thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
14 January 2009