NRF welcomes Pandor astronomy plans

2011-10-21 14:52

Cape Town - The National Research Foundation (NRF) has welcomed Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor's announcement that government will go ahead with plans to manage the country's astronomy activities under a single umbrella.

"The scale of investments in astronomy in South Africa, the multifaceted nature of the discipline, and the scope of our African and international partnerships make it imperative [it] be managed in a more holistic and coherent manner," the NRF said in a statement on Friday.

In a recent report, the department of science and technology's astronomy desk called for the establishment of a dedicated national astronomy, entity, whose main function would be to bring all astronomy activities under a single umbrella body.

This body had been provisionally named the SA National Astronomy Agency, it said.

Pandor announced on Wednesday this week that her department would be instituting some of the recommendations made by the astronomy desk.

- SAPA