SOCIAL SECTOR SUMMARY - DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (INPUT FOR PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING, 10 FEB 2000)
1. Introduction A broad range of DACST activities fall squarely into the domain of the Social Sector Cluster. Language, Archives, Libraries, Indigenous Knowledge, Public Understanding of Science and Performing Arts are key examples. The creation of a Social Sector Strategic Unit within the Department is being considered to facilitate this. Creating coherence around the key themes of outreach and infrastructure provision will enhance all component activities as well as forcing staff used to working in a very linear way to share ideas and resources.
In addition to the basic line function activities mentioned above, planning around the following key cross-cutting themes identified by the Office of the President has already commenced:
I. Job Creation;
II. Rural Development;
III. Urban Renewal;
IV. HIV/AIDS prevention and vaccination;
V. Crime Prevention;
VI. Human Resource Development;
VII. Regional Integration.
This document provides a brief outline of DACST plans for the following 12 months in respect of the areas mentioned above.
2. Line function activities. A brief sketch of new, rather than ongoing activities is provided. No more s possible, given the short time available.
2.1 Science and Technology
2.1.1 Public understanding of science, engineering and technology
A range of activities, including (I) the second science orientation camp for girls, (II) a week concentrating on the Public Understanding of Science in three provinces, (III) a conference on women in science and (IV) a gender sensitisation workshop for science educators will be carried out.
2.1.2 Indigenous Knowledge Systems
The National Research Foundation has been granted R 10 million to develop sustainable programmes in the development of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. In addition legislation has been drafted and will soon be submitted on the protection and promotion of indigenous knowledge.
2.2 Arts and Culture
2.2.1 Heritage
Several important projects will commence this year. The unveiling of the Women's Monument, the opening of the Mandela Museum and the initiation of the Khoisan project are examples. In addition, wide-ranging new legislation regarding the integrated protection of South African heritage will be commenced in April.
2.2.2 Cultural Industries
In the first quarter the SETAs that involve the arts and culture will be launched. The Northern Province Special Project, which deals with Cultural Industries in the context of rural development will be launched in the third quarter. The Lubombo and Wild Coast SDIs will also be areas of focus with respect to cultural industries, particularly crafts and the relationship with tourism.
2.3 Language
A language plan for South Africa will be launched in the first quarter. A telephone answering and interpreting service (TISSA) will be launched in the second quarter.
2.4 Archives and Heraldry
The acquisition of the TRC archive will be managed and an oral history project will be piloted, both by the end of the second quarter. A new national Coat of Arms will be created by the end of the first quarter.
3. Cross-cutting activities
3.1 Job creation
In the Arts and Culture Branch this activity is located in the Cultural Industries Programme, which focuses on Crafts, Film, Music and Publishing. Currently, given Presidential directives, the priorities have are being concentrated in The Northern Province, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In Science and Technology, energies are directed towards the implementation of a comprehensive technology diffusion programme to empower small technology-based firms. The programme has the financial support of the European Union and other governments have also been convinced of the efficacy of technology skilling as a development tool and more projects will be added as a result. Currently the technology outreach is being spearheaded from technikons, but this approach will soon be diversified. Mintek is co-ordinating the job creation focus among the Science Councils.
3.2 Rural Development
The science and technology system follows a multi faceted approach in terms of rural enterprise creation in order to serve a broad spectrum of development needs. It comprises technology outreach, small business incubation as well as competitiveness improvement. The Agricultural Research Council is the focus for a co-ordinated approach among the Science Councils here. A comprehensive document on science and technology in rural development has already been made available by us to the Presidency.
The bulk of craft production occurs in rural areas, with the bulk of craft retail occurring in urban areas. One significant reason to develop the craft industry is that craft production provides women in particular with an opportunity to earn an income while maintaining their other domestic responsibilities. Craft production is referred to as a "home industry" precisely because it can be done from home, which permits a moulding of the production process to suit the needs of the producer. Women are responsible for agriculture (usually subsistence agriculture) and child care in rural areas, leaving little time to earn an income. In urban environments, there are few jobs in the formal economy, so in many instances people end up in the informal economy in order to survive.
Linked to the above point is the fact that the average level of education amongst rural women and men is Standard 5 (Grade 7), and on average their literacy and numeracy skills are very poor. If people have poor education and survival literacy skills (10 000 words or less) there is very little they can do in the formal economy to earn an income without additional formal education. Crafts become one of the few economic alternatives available for rural people to earn an income.
3.3 Urban Renewal
DACST is closely involved in the revitalisation of the centre of Johannesburg via the Newtown and Constitution Hill Projects. The Human Sciences Research Council also acts as a co-ordinator of urban renewal projects for the Science Councils.
3.4 HIV/AIDS prevention and vaccination.
The Medical Research Council has been given a R10 million grant to continue its work on AIDS vaccine research. The Department of Health and Eskom are partners in this programme. The cultural dimensions of HIV transmission will be addressed by, inter alia, instructing the Human Sciences Research Council to spend a portion of its budget in this area.
3.5 Crime Prevention
Crime prevention has been a focus of the Innovation Fund for three years now, with some notable successes. The CSIR is the focal organisation among the Science Councils and a new Crime Prevention Research Resources Centre will be opened this year. Actual technologies now being developed under the aegis of the Innovation Fund include a laser parts marking system for vehicles and a so-called smart gun, which recognises its owner and can thus only be used by him or her.
3.6 Human Resource Development
The National Research Foundation is our main vehicle for vital activity. Key performance indicators are in place for the development of Black and Female natural and social scientists. Recent trends in the production of post-graduate students indicates a high success rate. A new mandate for the National Research Foundation is the programme to promote indigenous knowledge systems. The implementation of this programme will be a challenge, given that it falls outside the usual ambit of the research environment. But good international precedents exist and it is felt that the success of the IKS programme can make a difference in alleviating rural poverty.
3.7 Regional Integration
In a real sense our social problems are often ones our neighbours have experienced or are experiencing. HIV/AIDS is a classic example. Our social vision therefore needs to extend beyond our own boundaries. Malaria eradication needs to extend to Mozambique if our own tourism industry is to be protected. In the Science Councils our focal organisation is the Council for Geoscience, which has vast experience in the Southern African region. Projects underway which have a strong social dimension include:
* Facilitating the exchange of researchers between South Africa and their counterparts in SADC. In this regard the National Research Foundation increased its budget for interaction with SADC and Africa twofold for 2000/2001.
* SAFARI 2000: This is a NASA/SADC environmental and meteorological project that is also drawing support from the Commonwealth Science Council. SAFARI 2000 involves the monitoring and mathematical modelling of the production, transport and absorption of atmospheric pollutants on the subcontinent. The potential interventions as a result of the project will have a direct bearing on public health and overall quality of life.
* Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): This is a project initiated by structures within the Science and Technology Policy Committee at OECD. GBIF is aimed at gathering data globally on flora and fauna and participants will be afforded appropriate protection with respect to intellectual property rights. It is estimated that SADC holds over 8% of the world's biodiversity heritage.
* The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is a project to construct a 10-metre class optical infra-red telescope at Sutherland in partnership with a range of Northern hemisphere institutions. The aim is to put SADC countries in a position to make a cutting contribution to astronomy and hence to produce local scientists of an extremely high calibre.
* The Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction & Training (BENEFIT) Programme which will involve many international funding partners. The project concerns the users of the Benguela Current for fishing and fish processing purposes including Angola. Long term objectives of sustainable management of the fishery resources will imply research and human capacity building. New employment opportunities and food security matters will be addressed in the project design as well.
* Co-operative R&D projects in the science and technology fields with SADC counterparts using Science Councils as the main agents on the South African side. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is supporting DACST with the study for identifying such institutional linkages and project areas. It is envisaged that project implementation will roll out by the fourth quarter of 1999/2000 and the projects will have a three year life. Some examples of potential areas of collaboration are:
Mauritius: sugar; IT policy and strategy for government; social science; oceanography; baseline geology and hydrography; S&T policy; tourism strategy.
Mozambique: ocean ecology; sugar; food security; IT infrastructure and networking; distance education.