[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

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