SA looks set to move to the next level in the world of science and technology

In 1990, local researchers published 518 (12,8%) papers in association with international collaborators. Last year the number had grown to 3400 (48,3%)! That’s a tribute to the department of science & technology (DST) and its research councils for putting SA firmly on the global stage, according to an article in FM last month.

“It makes sense for SA researchers to work with researchers in other countries around climate adaptation science and climate adaptation technology, for example. Our approach is not to be inward-looking ,” says Dr Thomas Auf der Heyde, DST deputy director-general for the International Co-operation & Resources unit.

This DST programme focussed on science, technology and innovation (STI) has linked up with numerous partners, including the European Union (EU), to leverage off a R6,2bn foreign contribution to the cost of STI co-operation with SA by 2014 to stimulate international technological transfer.

The programme is responsible for planning, promoting and supporting SA’s international science & technology activities within both the bilateral and the multilateral environments. The latter includes partnerships with the likes of the African Union (AU), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) and Unesco, whose main role is that of a clearing house on science and technology knowledge and policy rather than a funder.

“SA is regarded as a serious player, particularly if one takes into account the size of our science system, which is the largest in Africa. It’s small in comparison with all of our Northern partners, including countries such as Switzerland, which is much smaller than SA but has a science system that is bigger than ours. Our system is also small compared with many partners’ in the emerging economies segment,” says Auf der Heyde.

WHEREIN LIES THE VALUE?

There are concrete continent-wide projects in the pipeline due to a research & development (R&D) agreement between the AU and EU commissions. The growing African co-operation has also enabled SA’s National Research Foundation and its African peers to leverage off each other’s expertise.

Countries that SA is in partnership with include Algeria, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia and Uganda. “There’s an agreement between Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya and SA to build a geostationary satellite, specifically for Africa. Our partnership with Algeria is an important part of that project,” he says. SA also co-operates with the North African country on ICT application and in the areas of biotech and nanotechnology.

It's also involved in the African Network for Drug & Diagnostic Innovation, which is funded by the EU. It’s about developing drugs and vaccines for diseases ravaging Africa, such as HIV/Aids, TB and dengue fever. 

This resonates with Science & technology minister Naledi Pandor and DST director-general Dr Phil Mjwara - the latter a believer in the “diffusion” of R&D into real-life solutions for the benefit of society.

The DST’s international programme also supports one of three centres within the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, a 61-member state organisation. The local centre — in Cape Town (the others are in India and Italy) — has a strong focus on African health care and agricultural challenges.

Also, part of the department’s strategy is to support global engagements to leverage research opportunities for the National System of Innovation. These span funding, access to overseas researchers and infrastructure, and access to global knowledge resources such as policy institutions.

“The OECD, for example, is a knowledge brokerage and it presents significant opportunities for policy input to SA,” says Auf der Heyde.

The DST previously invested R17m in EU activities and, in turn, it leveraged off € 25m from Europe for SA research costs. In addition, the total value of the research activities local researchers were part of is more than € 500m (R4bn). “That shows you the value of being internationally embedded,” he says.

The only snag, according to Auf der Heyde, is the inadequacy of funds for international co-operation. He attributes this to two factors. “There are financial constraints in the public system in SA,” he says, illustrating disparities with global partners. “It’s also related to international developments ... one being that SA is moving from being regarded as a developing country to being an emerging economy. As that happens, our access to development finance reduces, while access to strategic partnerships increases. It’s a shift in the nature of relations between us and our international partners in the North."

There is also work in the public-private partnerships space in partnership with SAP. The initiative supports the SAP/Meraka UTD unit, an ICT project that trains local software developers and generates research output in the software engineering environment."

 

South African mineral beneficiation - beneficial for which benefactors?

South Africa’s Industrial Policy Action Plan (Ipap) has commissioned a study with an eye to advancing minerals beneficiation across five resource sub-sectors: ferrous minerals and metals, platinum-group metals, titanium and pigments, polymers, and mining inputs. The 3-year study officially ends on 31 March 2016 and is driven by the IDC under the guidance of the dti, Treasury, DMR and DST.

Dr Paul Jourdan, who co-authored the ANC's State Intervention in the Minerals Sector (Sims) policy document adopted at its December 2012 conference, is reportedly conducting the Mineral Value-Chains Strategy research. It is unclear which regulatory interventions and 'strategic' minerals will flow from the study.

Close to making possible amendments to the MPRDA, the DMR has started engaging with government and outside stakeholders, including 2 sessions concluded with the Chamber of Mines. CoM's Vusi Mabena says while industry supports government’s beneficiation goals, lack of skills and capacity are worrisome.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel on the beneficiation thrust contained in the fifth iteration of South Africa’s Industrial Policy Action Plan. Camera Work: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Darlene Creamer. Recorded: 4.4.2013. Credit to Engineering News for the use of this video clip.

No here is something that's music to my ears - literally!

Landfill Harmonic reveals a mind-boggling, inventive effort to change that - musical instruments made from trash. In the barrios of Paraguay, a humble garbage picker uses his ingenuity to craft instruments out of recycled materials - and a youth orchestra is born. Music arises and children find new dreams.

About Landfill Harmonic

A film about “The Recycled Orchestra”, a group of children from a Paraguayan slum who play instruments made entirely of garbage. It is a beautiful story about the transformative power of music, which also highlights two vital issues of our times: poverty and waste pollution.
The world generates about a billion tons of garbage a year.  Those who live with it and from it are the poor – like the people of Cateura, Paraguay.  And here they are transforming it into beauty.  Landfill Harmonic follows the orchestra as it takes its inspiring spectacle of trash-into-music around the world.

Production began in 2010 when we traveled to Paraguay to film the children and the orchestra. We returned to the village in 2011 to film and check on the progress of three young children who recently entered the orchestra. We then resumed filming in 2012. We will also continue to follow the story in 2013. Landfill Harmonic shows how trash and recycled materials can be transformed into beautiful sounding musical instruments, but more importantly, it brings witness to the transformation of precious human beings.

Internet of Things

This is one of those infographic short stories that you just want to go back... and back... and back to - until you get your head around it:

Jobs Fund RFP now open: entrepreneurs apply!

The DBSA on behalf of the National Treasury invites public, private, as well as South African non-governmental organisations to submit innovative proposals that will facilitate job creation and lead to systemic change within the South African economy.

R9 billion has been set aside for the fund, aimed at creating 150,000 jobs over 3 years. It awards once-off grants to partner organisations through a competitive project application process. Project partners are required to match the grant fund allocation either on a 1:1 ratio for private sector partners or 1:0.2 for non-private sector partners.

So far, its investment committee has approved 54 projects, at a cost of R3bn. This has been matched with R3.7bn from applicant organisations. Of the 54 approvals, 27 projects have been allocated to contractors, who will help implement them. The 27 projects have signed agreements for funding of more than R1bn. Of these, 19 were approved for NGOs, 5 for private companies and 3 for public sector institutions, creating only 745 jobs.

Brian Whittaker, deputy chairman of the Jobs Fund’s investment committee, says the approved funding for the 54 projects will result in the creation of about 65,000 new, permanent jobs and the placement of about 42,000 unemployed people into existing vacancies.

The Jobs Fund opened a third Call for proposals on the 3 December 2012. Interested organisations are required to submit a concept note by 5pm on 15 March 2013. Only applications for the following two funding windows are invited: Enterprise Development and Infrastructure.

Background

Since opening in June 2011, the Jobs Fund has received over 3,500 applications with over-subscription in some windows.  Thus it is only opening the enterprise development and infrastructure windows for this funding phase.  Once these applications have been reviewed, the Investment Committee will review the balance of applications across the Fund and determine which areas will be open for future funding. 

The infrastructure window will co-finance light infrastructure investment projects that are necessary to unlock job creation potential in a particular area. Initiatives could include providing critical missing infrastructure that creates trading opportunities; enhances access to markets; improves the business environment for enterprises and catalyses employment linked investment. The key characteristics of competitive projects include: large scale impact; contribution to systemic change; innovation; value for money; a clear link to job creation, and a demonstrable capacity to implement.

It is looking for new business models, products and markets in enterprise development, including "umbrella" initiatives that could be channels of support for smaller enterprises or benefit these indirectly, such as the facilitation of market linkages and supply chain diversification. The fund is also seeking to co-finance "light" infrastructure investment projects. It is targeting established companies or organisations with plans to expand existing programmes, or pilot innovative approaches to employment creation, with a special focus on opportunities for young people.

This first stage requires the submission of a Concept Application in a standardised format, via the electronic application system. The Concept Application includes a description of all the key features of the project and enables an initial assessment of the eligibility of an application as well as its competitive performance against the impact criteria. Once all applications have been scored, they are ranked in order to identify the strongest projects within each funding window or broad category of projects and a decision is taken as to which proposals should proceed to Stage Two: Full Applications. This is the first competitive point in the application process. The Jobs Fund appreciates that submitting an application can be a time consuming process. The concept application stage allows applicants to test the strength and relevance of their concept, without having to submit a detailed business plan.

The Jobs Fund will not fund projects in the following categories:

• Bail out of distressed companies
• Start-up companies and initiatives with no proven record          
• Training activities that are not linked to job placement
• Initiatives with large capital investment but minimal job creation potential
• Double dipping funding – the Jobs Fund does not seek to crowd out other funding sources.

Construction industry anxiously awaits government’s R3-trillion infrastructure spend - no tenders yet issued

DBSA frantically attempting a turnaround strategy

The government’s infrastructure bank, DBSA, is expected to play a leading role in the planned infrastructure investment programme.

The First National Bank/Bureau of Economic Research building confidence index for the fourth quarter showed seven out of 10 respondents rate business conditions as unsatisfactory.

Treasury head of public finance, Andrew Donaldson, says the DBSA’s core business should be lending to municipalities for infrastructure (which has been in decline since 2005). The DBSA will henceforth partner with government departments — in particular health and education — to establish programme management teams that will plan, design and deliver priority projects.

In post-apartheid SA, the DBSA has been expected to self-finance. However, Treasury will henceforth provide financial transfers in a new funding model that will see "blended finance raised from the capital markets with fiscal transfers to capitalise growth".

The DBSA posted a loss of R370m last year, in part due to bad equity investments. While the DBSA has announced a voluntary retrenchment process, it is believed that it aims to cut its staff from 750 to 300 people (following an evaluation by consultancy Bain).

New DBSA CEO, Patrick Dlamini, hopes turnaround strategy will return the DBSA to profitability by 2013 and double its loan book to R91bn by 2017.

On Democracy, Gatekeepers and Wickets...

Financial Curve Balls

I just did some basic arithmetic. It cost the ANC R12,500 per person to host their 4-day Policy Conference at Gallagher Estate in June - pretty cheap compared to corporate events. The ANC pays for accommodation, meals and transport of delegates from various parts of the country.

The conference is funded partly by "generous donations", a token payment by delegates and the ANC’s “progressive business forum” coordinated by Daryl Swanepoel . While outside in the sun, adjacent to the luxury sedans, ordinary rural vendors make do with selling ANC merchandise .

About 5 000 delegates are expected to attend the party's elective conference in Mangaung in December. What caught my attention, was that, when this political party spends money on a get-together, they pay their bills in cash.

The ANC is a political party, who happens to be ruling i.e. Government. On average, when  our government pays service providers - mostly using taxpayers' money (which are arguably the voting citizens of the country who endorse them) - no matter whether you're a large corporate or SME, you only get paid after about 60 days, if that. 

Happiness is...

FutureFact recently found that 76% of LSMs 2-4 and 61% of LSMs 5-6 (the bulk of our population) do not have any friends from other racial groups – a proxy for determining social cohesion and integration. It would seem we're integrating, but alongside each other - not with each other.

My view? Although the Washington post considers happiness risky, it seems to be what the ruling party is after. Although happiness in the developed world is linked to either financial prosperity, enough leisure time or being thin and living long, to each country their own - and especially so, in Africa - where sunshine can draw wider smiles on our faces. 

But if the ANC wants to draw its reference framework around what Colonialism did to bugger things up, its number one starting point would be to determine WHAT WORKED FOR SOUTH AFRICANS pre-Colonialism, and to aspire to return citizens to that state - albeit in a modern context. Right?

What we Still need to Learn

Reviewing the ANC's 4th National Policy Conference recommendations, some of these astounded me. Because of how blatantly they have been ignored (and transgressed) since June 2012 - by the highest cadres of ANC leadership. And by the fact that they are still under discussion (and not seen as common sense non-negotiables since the onset of the ANC's rule over South Africa):

• More urgent steps should be taken to protect the image of the organi­sation and enhance its standing in society by ensuring that urgent action is taken to deal with public officials, leaders and members of the ANC who face damaging allegations of im­proper conduct.
•  In addition, mea­sures should be put in place to prevent abuse of power or office for private gain or factional inter­ests. The ANC can no longer allow prolonged processes that damage its integrity. 
• The ANC veterans and former combatant of MK should be de­ployed in the programme of rolling out the political education cadre­ship development programme. Say, what ?
• The ANC members who are found guilty of wrongdoing in other insti­tutions of society should also be subjected to internal disciplinary processes in line with the ANC Code of Conduct. This will send an unambiguous message in society that the ANC does not tolerate any wrongdoing, including corruption, among its members. 
• Public funding (READ: TAXES) should be expand­ed in order to promote and support democracy. Such funding will be accompanied by full financial ac­countability and transparency by political parties, including regula­tion of private financing of political parties. So if I pay a tax to promote democracy - how do I review how it is applied?
• The ANC should participate in the economy, through various activi­ties such as setting up business to provide goods and services as well as building an investment portfolio. Regulation of party-linked invest­ment vehicles should also be intro­duced to avoid conflict of interest, which will result in compromising the integrity of the movement. How to move towards a communist state with good corporate governance 101...
• All ANC members who earn an in­come should contribute equitably to the movement by paying a levy, according to their ability. This, I guess, on top of PAYE?
  
• Foreign funding should be permit­ted, but must be regulated to avoid abuse and manipulation by exter­nal forces in the political affairs of our country. Show me a country where THAT worked for citizens!
• All financial donations made to the organisation should be deposited into the bank accounting to elimi­nate abuse and that fund raising should be limited to those who are authorised to so. And we only realise this NOW?
• The NEC should to address the problem of high bank charges from FNB, including a possibility to use the Postbank. Now let's see how long their bank fees stay down!

Colonialism of a "special type"

After agreeing among themselves that significant progress has been achieved, our ruling party goes on to blame "the structural legacy of apartheid colonialism and patriarchy" for unemployment, poverty and inequality.

In reviewing the last 18 years, they unequivocally confirm that 1994 was the decisive departure point from a colonial system spanning over three centuries. According to the ANC, current National Democratic Transformation successes include:

a. democratic, non-racial and non-sexist political order; (I guess calling an opposition deployment the Madam's tea lady is OK, then)
b. democratic rights for all citizens and the establishment of vibrant institutions;
c. Constitution that promotes consistent equality and encompasses first, second and third generation rights; (what are third generation rights - anyone?...)
d. basic needs programmes (housing, roads, access to electricity, sanitation, water);
e. integration of security forces and improving access to the criminal justice system;
f. empowering women and transforming gender relations;
g. access to health care;
h. social wage and social policy to alleviate poverty;
i. developing human resources through education and skills;
j. economic transformation for growth and job creation after decades of stagnation;
k. participatory democracy; and
l. a better Africa and world.
 
OK... very well then. But right after this, the document switches tack to blame Colonialism of a Special Type (including patriarchy) for ALL OF THE FOLLOWING failures to deliver the above-stated "successes" to the people (not just a well-connected few):

• The colonial, racist and sexist structure and character of our economy;
•  the spatial and gender patterns of development and underdevelopment;
•  the social, human resources and infrastructure backlogs.

[INTERLUDE]

Would it surprise the crafters of this fine (albeit devoid of a SUB-EDITOR) document to take into account that these very same inequalities existed in the countries that these "colonialists" more often than not fled from 300 years ago? 

My predecessors fled religious persecution in France (see an Irish account if you need more), and again to Argentina during the Second Anglo-Boer War. I have in my possession a typed-up account by my great-great grandmother (at the age of 94) of her time in St Helena and conditions leading to the family's forced flight to Argentina, because the British forces kept destroying their Free State farm. Coincidentally, these were the people who stood up against absolute government, believing individuals could establish their own salvation - not the state.

I'd go as far as to say, the main benefactors of 'South Africa' were the Dutch East India Company (not surprisingly, also London-based today) and British Empire, and their 'cadres' - not so much the settlers...

It may benefit the authors to take into account that these social ills were first spawned in the first city-states of Mesopotamia - "the cradle of civilisation" back in 3100BC - to spread across the global village as we know it today. And look at Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey today...

CURTAIN DRAW

 

The ANC policy document goes further to say that:

"The constraints during the first 18 years of a negotiated settlement meant that we were not always able to introduce the required changes in order to rapidly eradicate this legacy. Whilst we made progress in transforming the state in terms of its representativity, orientation and its role, we continue to have challenges of state capacity, the orientation of the public service and our capacity to effectively implement our policies, thus impacting on our ability to decisively effect broader social and economic transformation."

WOW. Am I to understand that:

• ...the rule of the ANC today is still a "negotiated settlement" with "colonialism of a special type" secretly pulling the strings (purse or other)?
• ...although our current Government has TRIPLED IN NUMBERS from what it was pre-1994, they do not have capacity to implement THEIR OWN adopted policies?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended).
Now we actually get to the part that inspired me to set everything else aside in order to write this heart-felt blog posting:

Still under the heading The Persistent Legacy of Colonialism of a Special Type (including patriarchy), our ruling party blames colonialism for:

1. "New expressions of corruption and greed, which not only result in the wastage of public resources, but also undermine confidence of our people in government and in our movement."

2. The challenge of the unity and cohesion of the ANC and the Alliance, impacting not only on its ability to mobilise and organise the motive forces in transformation, and therefore on the pace of transformation. 

If I look back at what would have made my predecessors happy 300 years ago (as they certainly weren't happy at the time), it would have been AUTONOMY FROM AN OVER-BEARING STATE. I believe the same desire still stands. 

And so, I rest my (brief) case.