Since the newly elected democratic Government came into power it emphasized the crucial role it is to play in making us a winning and competitive nation. This was underpinned by then President Mandela at his inaugural address in Parliament on 24 May 1994, when he said the Government is committed to creating a people-centred society of liberty, binding us to the pursuit of the goals

of freedom from want, hunger, deprivation, ignorance, suppression and fear since these are fundamental to the guarantee of human dignity. The potential role of science and technology in the pursuit of achieving freedom and wealth is not disputed. Progress in the field of science and technology is not the sole responsibility of the government of the day. Its importance is recognized

by civil society, the science councils, the education sector, business and NGOs. A holistic approach to science and technology is rooted in the following goals:

• Enhancing the quality of life of all South Africans.

• Promoting competitiveness and employment creation.

• Promoting an information society.

• Promoting environmental sustainability.

• Developing human resources.

It is therefore essential that we highlight the importance of science and technology in the new world order. Our people need to be scientifically numerate and literate and should embrace a technical culture. Mainly due to apartheid policies of the past and elitism, we have not succeeded in creating this culture.

The masses of our people are illiterate. The challenge facing the ANC Government is to devote the necessary resources to scientific and technological research and development, including biotechnology. In facing the new millennium and the development of South Africa and the Continent of Africa, we must pay particular attention to the following in the field of

science and technology:

• We have to devote the necessary resources to scientific and technologies research and development.

• We must encourage innovation among our people and ensure that we introduce new developments into our productive activities.

• We must ensure that as many of our people as possible master modern technologies and integrate them in their social activities, including education, delivery of services and economic activity.

In order to fully understand the importance of the quality of life, one should briefly examine the key features of South Africa's economic history.

Economic growth which had been declining since the early 1970s dropped below population growth rates by mid-1980. After 5 years of recession, the economy recovered slightly, with an annual real GDP growth rate of 1.2%. During the 1989-93 recession, the contributions of the primary sector - agriculture and mining - and the secondary sector - manufacturing, construction and electricity -

fell in real terms, while only the trade and finance sectors showed marginal improvement. Since 1980, the average growth rate of real wages for African workers has declined. In manufacturing it fell to 0.6% in 1986-89, in the agricultural sector, in 1987, real wages had fallen to below 1975 levels.

South Africa's economy since the period of its transition must be viewed from another critical perspective, namely that of the challenge of the provision of basic needs, such as housing, health, education and water and electricity supply in urban as well as rural areas. Despite the moderate economic upturn in the second half of 1993, employment in 1994 was 0.6%& lower than the previous year, while 1995 saw the first annual increase in employment since 1989.

However, with an increase in the economically active population of 2.5% per annum, the number of unemployed South Africans increased substantially.

According to Statistics South Africa figures, 43 out every 100 economically active persons were either unemployed or subsisted in the informal sector in 1994. The number of people employed in the private sector was approximately 41 000 less than at the end of the recession of 1989-93. The inflation rate stood at just under 8% at the time of the election, but rose to 9% in June 1995. By August 1995 it was starting to decline, and it reached 7.5% in September, one of the lowest in

over 20 years.' During the 1997-98 period, the growth in real GDP slowed down. It recovered, however, during the fourth quarter of 1998 and throughout 1999.

Science and technology should be applied in the following key areas for the improvement of the quality of life of South Africans;

• Providing a safe and secure working environment.
• Meeting the basic needs at community level.
• Efficient health care and education provision.
• Reducing the total cost of infrastructure provision.

• Placing a high premium on environmental sustainability.

South Africa will not be able to realize its growth potential in science and technology without the introduction of clearly defined regulatory mechanisms to ensure that the spin-offs of technology introduction, transfer and diffusion do not impact negatively. Scientific and technological advancement should, therefore, never be to the detriment of the environment.

South Africa's human wealth can only be developed in an atmosphere of lifelong learning and scientific and technical education and training. The disempowerment of promising talent in the field of science and technology, in the main due to apartheid policies of the past, must be addressed within a national system of innovation. This necessitates new and innovative approaches to

education and training and learning among the South African workforce in response to global economic changes.

Science and technology should not reside in "he hands of the elite; it should reach down to every level of society and achieve a balance between individuals and social groups, communities and societies The challenge is to create an equitable information order nationally, regionally and internationally. This can only be achieved if the majority of South Africans have access to facilities such as the Internet and appropriate training programmes. The value of this cannot be overemphasized in education and social development in general. Whilst placing the emphasis on international co-operation in the field of information technology, it is important to foster and develop our own country's unique contribution in this

field

Knowledge generation should become an integral part of science and technology education, starting on grass-roots level. It is equally important to recognize the importance of research in this sector, with particular reference to tertiary institutions such as universities and technikons. It is a myth that South Africans and our continent have not produced scientists of note in the international arena.

Innovation has become crucial to survival. The challenge facing South Africans is to create an environment which is conducive to innovation. It is therefore essential that we in South Africa -

• Create and sustain structures and processes which support innovation.

• Continually improve and update our knowledge base.

• Value and support the existing knowledge and enthusiasm to constantly improve our existing knowledge,

• Build and sustain relationships internally and with other societies.

Business is the central driving force for improving the quality of life of South Africans. It is therefore essential that incentives and support be provided to the business sector if it were to meet the new challenges in increasingly competitive markets. Support should be given for the creation, development and sustaining of micro-enterprises and small businesses (which contributes approximately 42% of South Africa's GDP and employs half the private sector workforce)?

Although globalization is generally viewed as a complex and multifaceted economic process, at the core of the concept lies the unrestricted flow of capital .across markets and national borders.

(he role of the newly liberated South Africa globally and in the context of the African Renaissance is fundamental to its success. The concept of African development focuses on political, cultural and economic development. There is a synergy between these sectors, and science and technology is central to this challenge. There is little doubt that the improvement of the vast majority of

Africa's population and its urban underclass are crucial elements of political stability and economic development and empowerment. South Africa's (and Africa's) challenge is to apply science and technology to become economically competitive as a regional force, in Africa as well as globally. This challenge is but line side of the coin, the other being its ability to, through the application of science and technology, provide essential services, much-needed infrastructure effective health care. Science and technology has become a crucial instrument in all forms of human endeavor, ranging from agriculture, communications, education and electricity provision to music, literature and other products of the human mind.

South Africa's setting and realization of national goals in the field of science and technology has to take cognizance of the developments on the continent of Africa and global imperatives. Our country's political transition placed us in the global arena, which exposed us to pressures and challenges that require innovative responses to a fast changing global environment. On the one hand we need to integrate ourselves successfully into the global market, but on the other hand we

must address the local needs and aspirations of all South Africans. As far back as 1990, the importance of international co-operation was emphasized at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was accepted that technological change is a vital component of economic growth. South African firms, amongst others, are already experiencing competition, locally and internationally, in this field. In this process civil society, labour movements, business and the state could come under considerable pressure.

The benefits of science and technology extend over numerous (if not all) fields of human endeavor. For the sake of brevity, the following are singled out:

The promotion of agriculture and related sectors through research, technology development and technology transfer, a function which is at present the responsibility of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

Geological, geophysical and palaeontological research supplying geological information, a function which at present resides with the Council for Geoscience I (CGO).

Enabling the minerals industry to operate more effectively by developing and making available the most appropriate and cost-effective technology in this essential sector of the South African economy, a function which is at present performed by the Council for Mineral Technology (Mintek).

The delivering of creative solutions and information in support of sustainable development and economic growth, which is performed by the CSIR.

Facilitating problem-solving and enhancing decision-making through research in the human sciences, which at present resides with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Improving the health status of the population and their quality of life through the application of health research and technology aimed at promoting equity and development, which is mainly performed by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Investing in knowledge and innovation across all disciplines in the natural sciences and engineering, as well as social science and humanities, which at present resides with the National Research Foundation (NRF).

The development and publication of standards for products and services, which is performed by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

South Africa will not be able to realize its targets in this field if it does not pay particular attention to the following:

• The value of science and technology in the era of globalization, beneficiation and employment creation.

• Improving the quality of life through science and technology.

• Paying particular attention to information technology in deepening democracy in South Africa and sustainable development.

In building South Africa's science and technology capacity, we should take heed

of the following:

• Building of science and technology capacity and resources should take place

through formal education.

• There should be proper collaboration between the various science and technology sectors.

• Adequate resources should be allocated to science and technology development.

• Complementary research should focus on applied and basic research as well as Indigenous Knowledge.

• South Africa should have a national research plan.

• Particular attention needs to be paid to innovation.

• Innovation should be rewarded and not punished.

• There should be a shift from an ivory tower mentality and armchair critique to active contribution to finding solutions to socio-economic challenges in order to improve the quality of life.

The Department of Arts. Culture, Science and Technology must focus on technological and scientific programmes and projects such as the new University of Information Technology (ICT).

It should be acknowledged that the revolution in science and technology will move the frontiers of poverty and create a new and just South African society.

Science and technology and its immense value to South Africans cannot be seen in isolation: it should rather be regarded as the interaction between many institutions, organizations, individuals and ideas in the pursuit of a common set of social and economic goals.

Without the establishment and harnessing of a strong science and technology sector, South Africa will not succeed in moving towards equity. This view is strongly supported by the White Paper on Science and Technology, which states that the aggressive promotion of the principle of lifelong learning gives South Africa the best opportunity in the long term of addressing science and technology related skills. It is essential, however, that this requires the collective input of all

South Africans.

Science and technology will play a vital role, in 'he words of President Mbeki, in pushing back the frontiers of poverty and expanding access to a better life.

• The South Africa Yearbook 2000/01, 7^th edition.

• The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology.

• The CSIR.

• The Political Economy of South Africa's Transition: Policy Perspectives in the Late 1990s, edited by J Michie and V Padayachee. The Dryden Press, 1997.

• The Library of Parliament.

• The Constitution of the RSA, Act 108 of 1996.

• Research Paper: "African Development, the Millennium African Plan & the New Africa Initiative, by Mr E Jawoodeen, Parliamentary Research Unit, October 2001.