Deputy President David Mabuza may have fumbled over a question on the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in Parliament earlier this week, but he has now penned an opinion article on the subject.
Business Day published Mabuza’s article on Thursday. It’s titled, “Disparities in access to tech mean 4IR is not anything to joke about.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson and MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi put the Deputy President on the spot on Tuesday with a question on what the first three industrial revolutions were about.
‘New question’
Mabuza, who was seemingly caught off guard, protested that it was a new question.
He therefore insisted that Ndlozi should put it in writing for his next question-and-answer session.
“I am prepared, if a new question is asked, to explain all these industrial revolutions, up to the fourth industrial revolution, and I’m not very sure, as a country, whether we are in the third industrial revolution or whether the second industrial revolution,” he said.
This prompted Ndlozi to advise him to read up on the subject. Mabuza also became the object of social media humour.
‘Bland classroom exercises’
In his article, Mabuza took a swipe at Ndlozi, suggesting that his approach in Parliament on 4IR was “frivolous.”
He wrote, “The frivolous manner in which the issue of industrial revolutions has been discussed in our society in recent times tends to trivialise the developmental challenges we face.”
The Deputy President added, “Bland classroom exercises of definitions and descriptions will not unleash our potential to leapfrog the current state of development and harness the changes that can shape a better future for SA and our continent.”
However, Ndlozi wasn’t impressed with Mabuza’s article. Writing on Twitter on Friday, he said Mabuza should have spoken without a “prepared script.”
“I see DD Mabuza has taken to @BDliveSA pages to express himself about the 4th Industrial Revolution.
“What is important for us is no longer his written word, but whether he could, without a “prepared script,” speak completely about the things he writes or was written for! So Asizi!”