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From left: Khungeka Njobe, CSIR Group Executive: R&D Outcomes and Strategic Human Capital Development; Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom; and Kagiso Chikane, Centre Manager for the CSIR's Meraka Institute
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A visit by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, to the CSIR's Meraka Institute on 22 July 2009 presented an opportunity to update him on the latest and most fascinating research results in the CSIR's information and communications technologies (ICTs) arena. He is no stranger to the Meraka Institute; he officiated at its launch in 2005 and has subsequently visited various projects on different occasions.
Hanekom takes on a second stint as deputy minister this year, under the new Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs Naledi Pandor. As the second-highest office bearer in the Ministry of Science and Technology, he has specific responsibilities for ICTs, energy, climate, palaeontology, youth in science, and monitoring and evaluation in the science and technology sector.
The view by government of ICT as an enabling technology to underpin development was emphasised as well as its importance as a cross-cutting element in the 10-year plan of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Of particular interest to Hanekom is the work done on ICT in education, which has relevance to both the youth into science drive in South Africa and the need to improve school-level results.
He emphasised the importance of uptake and utilisation of DST-funded initiatives by other government departments. In this regard, the interest by the Department of Provincial and Local Government in the Digital Doorway was particularly heartening. He expressed an interest to visit the wireless mesh project in Mpumalanga, along with his colleagues from other government departments.
The CSIR's activities in Africa were also viewed in a positive light as they open the door for DST to broaden bilateral relations to trilateral participation between South Africa, a second African country and a third party.
With a keen sense of the occasion, Hanekom reiterated his invitation to the CSIR to participate in helping to put science and technology on the map in an accessible and popular format.
- Biffy van Rooyen
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