The Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology met yesterday to consider the budget vote and 2017/18 performance plans of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF), the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and the Human Science Research Council (HSRC), four major entities charged with the task of leading science and technology research and innovation.
Presenting on behalf of the NACI was its Acting Head, Dr Mlungisi Cele, who said that in 2017/18, the NACI wants to, among other things, build new and deepen existing networks. It also wants to participate in local and international forums to learn and share best practices. The NACI would also like to host a global advisory forum, guest lectures and seminars to discuss innovation in science and technology.
“Most of all, going forward we want to develop a functional science and technological innovation data and information portal to enable its users to access its initial set of data,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology, Ms Lindiwe Maseko, asked the NACI delegation: “Have you looked at the fragmentation of entities in the research sector and how their streamlining could avail much needed resources and expertise? There are many competing national needs currently, and that means we have to harness and manage the resources we have optimally to meet all the divergent research needs of our country.”
Committee Member Dr Annelie Lotriet asked the NACI delegation to what extent the lack of research funding at higher institution affects its work. She also wanted to know if South Africa’s recent junk-status grading would affect its research and development outputs.
One of NACI’s Council Members, Dr Azar Jasmine, replied: “We have not experienced huge capital out-flow yet. But if other rating agencies down-graded to junk or sub-investment, we will see capital outflows. That will push interest rates and inflation and government will have to cut back on spending on innovation.”
During the ASSAF’s presentation, the General-Secretary, Prof Himla Soodyall, told the Committee that ASSAF’s plan underscored its alignment with government’s research outcome goals by harnessing science to address the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment, which are the focal points of the National Development Plan (NDP).
One of the ASSAF’s most important undertakings is to provide evidence-based science advice in support of policy development on health, ethical and sexuality studies, through its Science Advisory Programme, Prof Soodyall said.
One Committee member, Ms Johnna Terblanche, commended the ASSAF for the topicality of its approach to human science issues, but asked why there is an increase in the number of people with cancer.
Prof Soodyall replied: “Cancer has been portrayed as a disease of older people or is genetically related, but that is not entirely the case. Only 5 % of cancer cases are genetically related. Others are sporadic. Cancer resides in one part of the body, but its signals reside elsewhere. We don’t know all the answers. Empirical research is the way to know about this. I will raise this with our committee on social research.”
Ms Maseko commended the ASSAF for its science advisory programme. “We need to put money where it is most needed. As a Committee, we are here to advocate for more funding for your work. We will ensure that you get a budget that is consummate with the kind of work that you are doing.”
Next to present was the SANSA. Illustrating the relevance of space science to South Africa’s developmental agenda, its CEO, Dr Valanathan Munsami, pointed out that if SANSA meets its environment and geospatial monitoring, five of government’s nine-point plan, seven NDP and three triple challenges priorities will be met.
Dr Lotriet asked about the uptake in the agricultural sector of the kinds of information the SANSA produces.
SANSA’s Acting Managing Director of Earth Observation, Dr Paid Mangara, replied that food security is one of the growing areas of their research and its uptake in the sector is significant.
Another Committee member, Mr Cassel Mathale, asked about SANSA’s strategic positioning.
Dr Mangara replied: “Our uptake in government has been successful and our research output has been adopted across various sectors, such water and sanitation, Statistics South Africa, the South African Weather Bureau, Eskom and other research councils.”
SANSA Head of Space Education, Mr Amal Khatri, said: “It is time we positioned ourselves well in the space industry if we are to experience growth in this sector. Our long-term goal is to develop our own satellite. If we can achieve that we can create jobs in the area of space science. Most of all, such intellectual capacity can reduce the cost of buying satellites. The economic benefit of investing in this area is quite broad.”
Ms Maseko said: “We understand the extent to which you need funding. We will visit your areas of work during our oversight and witness your expertise first-hand. Hopefully, we will see what needs to be done and how we can help to attract more funding for your programmes.”
The HSRC also presented its 2017/18 strategic overview. HSRC CEO Prof Crain Soudien explained the HSRC’s mandate, which he said is often conflated with those of universities. “Unlike universities, HSRC’s objective is problem-oriented and applied research on areas of national importance across the spectrum of disciplines and methodological approaches. We don’t get to pick and choose what we want to research on. We are mandated by government priorities.”
He explained that in the last financial year, HSRC experienced a R20 million budget reduction. “This meant we had to do our own funding from external sources. Raising funds is not only strenuous, but problematic because it takes away our focus from our core mandate. To mitigate this, we have been in discussions with various departments to have their research needs undertaken by us without any form of bidding, because that is our statutory mandate. In that way we may be able to supplement the reduction in our budget.”
“We cannot over-emphasise how enormous a challenge it is to raise funds while continuing to do our research work,” he added. “We are concerned about this. In the current environment we are in an imminent danger of losing skills. This may lead to retrenchments, but we are looking at ways to avert that.’
Ms Maseko stated that perhaps it is time to advocate for a separate budget for research and development in the fiscus. “We understand your frustration, because we understand the enormous work you do on our country’s behalf. Our country needs you and we don’t want you to run a risk of getting funders who will determine the course of your research interests. That should be averted at all costs.”
Abel Mputing
4 May 2017
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