Mr Bodo Donauer, Managing Director BMW South Africa; Mr Gregory van Wyk, Human Resources Director, BMW South Africa; Mr Richard Carter, General Manager: Communications and Public Affairs; Dr Sadha Moodley, Project Manager, BMW Excellence Project for the advancement of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education; Our Honoured Recipients of the Awards; Teachers and Parents; Ladies and Gentlemen Award Ceremonies such as the BMW Science, Mathematics and Technology Project epitomize those special moments which afford our learners opportunities to assess their individual potentials, and a taste of what the future may hold for them. Allow me, therefore, to begin my short address by expressing my Ministry’s deep appreciation to BMW South Africa and all the educators from the BMW Family of Schools in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa, Lanseria and Tembisa for the sterling job they are doing. Today we celebrate an incredible gesture of BMW South Africa’s corporate social responsibility, and the teachers’ commendable dedication to nurturing a love and appreciation of science and technology in our learners. It is only through nurturing our children’s talent and thirst for knowledge that we can contribute to building a better future for South Africa and our people. I have no doubt that today’s celebration of the collaboration between government and private sector represents the renewal of a pledge to work together and act in partnership to achieve some of the pressing goals of our nation, which include, among others, raising the level of innovation in our economy, speeding up skills development, increasing our scientific research and development output, and widening the doors of learning for our youth. I am delighted to learn that since the launch of the BMW Centres of Excellence Programme at Gatang High School four years ago, already more than sixty learners who graduated from the programme are studying at a number of higher education institutions nationally. Of these, more than 50% have enrolled for studies in various engineering fields. Others are pursuing their studies in IT, Chemical Analysis, BSc, B Comm., Geology, Graphic Design, and among them three are doing Actuarial Science. As a department responsible for the development of the national research and development agenda, our primary aim is to create enabling conditions for nurturing talent and potential among our youth. In particular, w} would like tw8build a critical mass of the human capital in science, engineering and technology. At the moment, South Africa has set for itself, a target for R&D expenditure of 1% of GDP by 2008. If we are to meet such a target, then we need to produce a sufficiently large pool of knowledge workers that is capable of undertaking R&D at requisite levels to absorb the investments of the magnitude contemplated. As a starting point, we need to produce a number of learners who pass matric well, especially in mathematics and science. This is the aim of what the Youth into Science Strategy, which we will be launching jointly with the Ministry of Education next month, wants to achieve. And programmes such as the BMW Centres of Excellence, are playing a critical role in this regard. Technology, research and innovation intensive companies such as BMW South Africa have a definite role to play in supporting our collective efforts to broaden access to education and enhancing learner performance in science and technology education. If we are to prepare our children for a prosperous future, we need to invest heavily in their education and training today. We need to equip them with the necessary tools and skills to meet tomorrow’s leadership challenges posed by the dictates of the knowledge economy. In this public-private partnership, business has an especially important role to play in developing scarce skills in identified areas. And I pledge my department’s unwavering support in this regard. We greatly appreciate BMW South Africa’s involvement in nurturing talent and potential among the learners of our country in the last few years. We urge corporate South Africa to emulate and multiply your generosity in order to afford more deserving learners such opportunities. More than ever before, South Africa requires greater investment by the private sector in developing the priority skills required to steer our economy along the growth path we have chosen. We sincerely hope that these awards will spur the recipient learners along the path to greater achievement. We salute and commend their educators on the extra effort they are making to ensure that their learners excel. We hope the awards will continue to encourage the private sector to double their efforts in supporting our efforts to enhance learner participation and performance in mathematics and science. My dear learners, I leave you with this important message: You possess the qualities and attributes of the scientists of tomorrow that we always talk about. If you hold on to what you have achieved thus far, you will face the future with confidence. And the educators are the critical key to providing our youth with the wherewithal that our country desperately needs to bridge the skills gap in identified priority areas. BMW South Africa has demonstrated that it is possible to make a remarkable mark in supporting government’s efforts to produce the appropriately skilled youth to feed into our National System of Innovation. For this, our country has much to be grateful for. As pace-setters in cutting edge automotive engineering, BMW is demonstrating its observance of the old adage: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” Without replenishing your team of researchers and engineers with a constant supply of young minds and fresh ideas, your ability to hold your own in this highly competitive industry would become a pie in the sky. Thank you once again for this sorely needed collaboration, and congratulations to all the recipients of the BMW Awards for Science, Mathematics and Technology. MAKWANDE! I thank you.