The Democratic Alliance (DA) has apologised for its criticism of SunSpace and the SumbandilaSat satellite project.

Last week, the party’s shadow minister for science and technology, Marian Shinn, attacked the department of science & technology for its proposed investment in SumbandilaSat’s builder, SunSpace, which was approved by cabinet earlier this year.

SumbandilaSat was built by SunSpace as part of the department’s integrated satellite development project. The satellite is equipped with a high-resolution camera that is used to monitor agriculture, and to map infrastructure and the use of land across the country.

SumbandilaSat experienced a number of teething problems when it launched earlier this year. However, these early issues have all been overcome, says SunSpace business development director, Ron Olivier.

Shinn said in a media statement last week that the satellite was riddled with problems and had permanent damage which “compromises its capability to deliver.”

She added that the DA did not understand why taxpayer money should be invested in a satellite manufacturing company that has been unable to deliver a robust working vehicle.

However, Shinn has since sent a letter to SunSpace MD Bart Cilliers, apologising for her criticism of the company and the SumbandilaSat project.

In her letter, she says that she accepts the reasoning behind SunSpace’s request for government investment in its business and promsies to make no further comments on the pending sale of a stake in the company to governnment. — Staff reporter, TechCentral