MEC of Health in the Mpumalanga Province, Ms Sasekani Manzini;
Programme Director, our Acting Director-General: Technology innovation, Dr Kenny Tenza;
MEC for Education in the Mpumalanga Province, Ms Lindi Masina;
Mayor of the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, Cllr. Lesetja Dikgale;
The Traditional leadership;
Heads of our Science and Academic Institutions;
Senior government officials;
Representatives from the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education;
School Principals;
Learners and Educators;
Community members;
Members of the media:

It is my honour and privilege to address you on this important occasion: the handover of the Peter Mokaba Primary School Media Lab.

Let me begin by highlighting the importance of the facility we are launching today. This media lab forms part of our Department’s Strategic Ministerial Projects. The objective of these projects is to use science, technology, and innovation to address societal challenges in real time, with a strong focus on disadvantaged urban and rural communities.

This media lab we are launching today is a state-of-the-art containerised learning environment designed to support both current and future teaching and learning needs. It consists of 40 computers powered by a solar photovoltaic system, including an MLT inverter, a 6 kWp solar generator and a 15-kWh lithium-ion battery storage system.  

The solar photovoltaic system powering this media lab forms part of our Department’s Renewable Energy Hub and Spokes Flagship Programme. Through this programme, we are working with a number of public universities, and I am particularly pleased that historically disadvantaged institutions, such as the University of Fort Hare, are also doing impressive work in this area.

To date, our Department has invested more than R26 million in various Ministerial Projects, and today’s facility is one of several that have already been launched across the country. Through the Ministerial Special Projects initiative, we have established media and science laboratories at the following schools:

Umthetomusha Primary School: KwaZulu-Natal Province;
Crystal Springs Primary School: KwaZulu-Natal Province;
Georgetown High School: KwaZulu-Natal Province;
Phakamani Primary School: Mpumalanga Province;
Zigudu Primary School: Eastern Cape Province;
Mugoidwa Secondary School: Limpopo Province;
Moloke Primary School: Limpopo Province;
Russel Bungeni Secondary School: Limpopo Province; and
Naledi Primary School: North-West Province.

We are acutely aware that the need for media and science laboratories remains both significant and urgent, and we are committed to expanding this footprint to reach as many schools as possible in every province.

Let me now turn to the importance of future-focused education. We live in the digital age, where many services that once required long queues or travel over great distances can now be accessed through mobile devices and digital platforms.

Today, people can bank on their mobile devices, and there is an application for almost every product or service. Government, too, is steadily moving towards e-government, where digital technologies such as the internet, mobile applications and online portals are used by public institutions to deliver information and services to citizens, and through dynamic engagement, solicit their views on a wide range of issues – thereby laying the foundation for achievement of participatory democracy.

It is therefore essential that we equip the young people of Nkangala District and our country with the digital skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. This is why the Media lab includes Chromebooks, which are inherently resistant to software viruses, as well as Google Educational Suite—a secure set of tools that supports collaborative learning and extends the school curriculum.

The facility also includes a SMART whiteboard to enhance interactive and effective teaching and learning. These tools will improve productivity, strengthen class management, and foster real-time collaboration across the education community.  

They will also enable teachers to communicate more effectively with learners, fellow educators, guardians, and administrators; save time in teaching, testing, and grading; provide transparent and meaningful feedback; and streamline their workloads.

This Media Lab will also provide coding and robotics training to learners from Peter Mokaba Primary School, as well as surrounding primary and secondary schools. In addition, Nkangala TVET College, and Mpumalanga CET College plan to offer IT-accredited courses using this infrastructure.

In this way, the media lab will help create a pipeline of future scientists, technologists, and engineers, while supporting teaching and learning in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Today’s launch would not have been possible without the support and input of a number of important partners and stakeholders. I wish to thank our partners Stellenbosch University; the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI); Nkangala TVET College and Mpumalanga CET College.

I also wish to extend a special word of gratitude to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government, the Nkangala District Municipality, the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, the Traditional Leadership, and, of course, the principal and management of Peter Mokaba Primary School for making this possible.

In conclusion, while this media lab is intended primarily for learners, it should also be regarded as a valuable community resource. We therefore appeal to the Moloto community to help protect and preserve it, so that future generations of learners may continue to benefit from it.