08 Sep 2013

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology has pledged its commitment to continue to work with South Africa to make the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project a success for the benefit of the country’s economy.

Botswana forms part of the African consortium alongside South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia in the implementation of the SKA project. 

Speaking at a bilateral meeting between Botswana and South Africa on the SKA project on September 6, Minister Johnnie Swartz said in August last year, the ministry launched the Revised Research Science Technology and Innovation policy which was approved by Cabinet and Parliament in 2011. 

Mr Swartz said the milestone facilitated and paved way for Botswana to implement the bilateral cooperation as the country has now defined its aspiration of where it wanted to go in the area of Research, Science, Technology and Innovation through the policy. 

He said the current focus of the policy implementation was the establishment of various structures for coordination and funding of research, development and innovation. 

With such structures in place, the country would have a clear road-map for developing national research and development critical for economic diversification, the minister said. 

Furthermore, he noted that Botswana’s connectivity has improved since 2011 when they prepared the bid for the SKA.

Botswana has successfully connected to the undersea cables to the east and the west of the region, thus resulting in a robust communication system. The minister explained that the national fibre network backbone has been fortified to enhance the possibility of achieving the country’s aspirations to take science to greater heights utilising world class connectivity.

The ministry has also managed to secure a dish from the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation to convert to a telescope for teaching and research purposes, while SKA experts would be working closely with local staff to convert the dish to facilitate the development towards the field of radio astronomy.

Meanwhile, the SKA will be implemented in two phases with the first one envisaged to start in 2016. Ends