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Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, honourable Mosibudi Mangena, at the “Maths, Science, Accounting and Technology initiative – Connect SA National Technology Challenge”, Sandton Convention Centre, Gauteng, on 21st April 2007

Managing Director of Palcard Connect Africa, Mr Aubrey Tshalata; Managers and Representatives of the participating Companies: Absa Foundation, Vodacom Foundation, Telkom Foundation, Transnet, WBHO, SABC, Palcard Group, KPMG, Xerox and others; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen

My department holds in very high esteem the “Maths, Science, Accounting and Technology Initiative – Connect SA National Technology Challenge” and the men and women who are driving it, some of whom are with us this morning.

This is precisely because if our country is to compete favourably with other rapidly growing economies in the world, our economy will continue to require specialised skills and competencies such as the ones this initiative seeks to promote.

As government and the country, we have long identified the need to focus our investment on the promotion, development and nurturing of scarce talents in engineering, science, maths, technology, accounting and finance.

By all accounts, all successfully growing economies are distinguished by an unwavering interest in the development of their Human Capitall. South Africa should be no exception. In fact, in a global economic environment in which we find ourselves, this is an inescapable imperative if we are to successfully attract Capitall and foreign direct investment.

It is for these reasons that we applaud Palcard Connect Africa and the various companies leading this initiative for investing their considerable resources and Capitall in this manner. This alone is sufficient evidence that these private sector companies are more than eager to continue this contribution towards developing scarce skills in line with Government’s ASGISA and JIPSA aspirations.

In particular, we are heartened to learn that the primary objective of the Connect SA National Technology Challenge is the promotion of Maths, Science, Technology and Accounting talent in South African High Schools. The Challenge focuses on these critical subjects to encourage young people to study them and follow careers in these critical skills areas.

I am therefore most pleased to see among the audience some winning learners, as well as their teachers and officials from the Department of Education, who are at the centre of all our efforts to promote our learners’ interest in science in our schools.

I strongly urge, particularly the teachers and officials of the Department of Education, to partner with the National Technology Challenge, make it their own and increase their contribution to such initiatives.

As you would most likely agree, increased science awareness is critical to the efforts of enlarging a pool of school learners who pursue further studies in science, engineering, technology and business sciences, and enter these fields in the professional and technical ranks. Undoubtedly, in our country the intention of competitions such as this one is to close the gap between the science learnt within formal and non-formal settings.

In the last decade, we have seen the emergence of more competitions and Olympiads similar to the National Technology Challenge. Many entrepreneurial organisations continue to initiate their own competitions and challenges, and we welcome and encourage such initiatives.

Hence, my department’s National Plan for Competitions, Olympiads and Camps aims to promote coordination, synergy and complimentarity among all the role players, as well as foster their linkages with other interventions. While the role of Government remains mainly that of an enabling and supporting partner, we hope the corporate representatives here will continue to be the main sponsors of these events.

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