SHOCKING TRUTH: SA’s Science Budget a Joke
In a stunning display of incompetence, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Professor Blade Nzimande delivered a budget vote in Parliament yesterday that was met with widespread criticism and ridicule. The department’s budget for 2024/25 has been slashed to a paltry R10.6 billion, a mere fraction of what is needed to drive real innovation and progress in South Africa.
Nzimande’s department is struggling to meet its own targets, with a woeful 0.6% of GDP expenditure on research and development, a far cry from the 1.5% target set for 2030/31. This lack of investment is having a devastating impact on the country’s innovation ecosystem, with many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) struggling to access the funding they need to grow and thrive.
But instead of taking responsibility for the department’s failures, Nzimande and his team are trying to spin the budget as a success. They claim that the department is "leading major innovations" and "promoting the transition to green hydrogen" – but these are just empty words, devoid of any real substance or impact.
The reality is that SA’s science budget is a joke, and it’s holding the country back from achieving its full potential. The government’s lack of investment in R&D is a major obstacle to economic growth and development, and it’s time for a change.
STI Budget Coordination Framework: A Recipe for Disaster
But it’s not just the budget itself that’s the problem – it’s the way it’s being managed. The department’s new STI budget coordination framework is a mess, with no clear plan for how the budget will be allocated or how it will be used to drive innovation and progress.
The framework is supposed to "improve cross-governmental budget allocations for STI and enabling cooperative planning across government" – but in reality, it’s just a bunch of empty words. The department is still struggling to coordinate its efforts, and the budget is still being allocated in a way that is arbitrary and unaccountable.
Hydrogen Economy: A Pipe Dream
And then there’s the hydrogen economy. Nzimande is touting this as a major innovation, but it’s just a pipe dream. The technology is still in its infancy, and it’s unclear whether it will ever be viable. But even if it is, it’s unlikely to have a significant impact on the economy or create many jobs.
Palestine Programme: A Waste of Money
The department’s new programme to support Palestine’s research and innovation capacities is another example of waste and mismanagement. The programme is supposed to "enable cooperation in STI between SA and Palestine" – but it’s unclear what this will actually achieve. The department is still struggling to coordinate its efforts, and the programme is likely to be a waste of money.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SA’s science budget is a joke, and it’s holding the country back from achieving its full potential. The department’s lack of investment in R&D is a major obstacle to economic growth and development, and it’s time for a change. The government needs to take a serious look at its budget and priorities, and start investing in the things that really matter – like education, healthcare, and innovation. Anything less is just a waste of time and money.
