Pretoria - Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor has welcomed the appointment Dr Sandile Malinga as Chief Executive Officer of the newly launched South African National Space Agency (SANSA).
Cabinet confirmed Dr Malinga's appointment on Wednesday.
"The appointment of Dr Malinga as CEO gives the agency the necessary impetus to begin its work in earnest. As the caretaker CEO, he demonstrated his efficiency and capability to run the agency, and we are now looking forward to seeing the agency flourishing," the minister said.
Pandor launched SANSA in December last year and tasked it with the responsibility of implementing the National Space Strategy, and coordinating and integrating all national space science and technology programmes.
The key objectives of SANSA are to support the creation of an environment conducive to industrial development in space technologies; foster research in space-based Earth observation, communications, navigation and space physics; advance scientific, engineering and technological competencies and capabilities through human capital development and outreach programmes, and to foster international cooperation in space-related activities.
