News South Africa

Pandor: SA will insist on SKA decision by June

South Africa will insist that a decision is taken on a site for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope at the next meeting of the SKA organisation, Science Minister Naledi Pandor said.

According to News24, the next meeting of the SKA five-country committee involved in the matter, including Canada, China, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, is set for May 25. "I'll certainly... protest should we not have a decision because I think we need to know where we stand, and I'm sure the other bidding country, Australia, also wants to know where [it] stands," Pandor told reporters at Parliament.

News24 reports that Pandor said South Africa's representatives at the meeting later this month would "make it very clear" the country wanted a decision before June. She said jokingly that she would "make loud complaints... [and] throw my toys out of the cot" if there was no decision at the meeting, before seriously stating she "certainly will protest" should one not be taken. "I'm thrilled that we've done very, very well because South Africa is definitely in and it's clear we have an excellent bid. But we want a decision on the site," she said.

Read the full article on www.news24.com.

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