The African science and technology Ministers whose countries make up the African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) consortium reaffirmed their commitment and support for the project, as well as for South Africa's contestation of the €1,5-billion international radio telescope venture, at a gathering in Cairo, Egypt, this week.

The partner countries include Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya, Zambia and Ghana.

An announcement of the choice of site is expected between 2011 and 2012 and construction is scheduled to start in 2013, with only South Africa and Australia still in the running to host the project.

In a joint declaration, the Ministers stressed the importance of the SKA for advancing science on the continent and for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The Ministers noted the 2010 support from the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology to present the initiative to the African Union Heads of State Summit.

The partners also agreed to establish site-readiness teams, which would meet twice a year to share information on infrastructure, regulations and progress on the requirements for the success of the African SKA bid.

South Africa's Department of Science and Technology would assist the associate and partner countries in crafting a human-capital development plan and a communications programme linked to the bid.