Govt to drive ICT usage

By Damaria Senne for SITA
Johannesburg, 21 Aug 2007

Government will increase its ICT usage at national, provincial and local level as a means of improving public service delivery. This will be achieved through the implementation of its information society and development plan in the next several months, says deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Government will also focus on expanding its ICT infrastructure investment, with the aim of increasing ICT adoption usage among citizens and driving down communication costs.

Mlambo-Ngcuka delivered a keynote address to more than 1 000 delegates at the GovTech 2007 opening dinner hosted by the State IT Agency, in Cape Town this week.

She says government must ensure its ministers and managers embrace and use ICT when executing their duties.

"ICT-illiterate senior managers are definite obstacles to optimum use of ICT, while unmanaged whizz-kids can lead us onto an eccentric path and fruitless expenditure. Unmanaged consultants often lead government officials to buy solutions for imaginary problems, while leaving out real problems such as gender-responsive solutions."

She says SA's national rating as a poor user of ICT can change, depending on what is achieved in public schools and communities through affordable access.

To facilitate this change, government needs to form partnerships with companies that can offer students internships and develop outreach programmes with schools, tertiary institutions and community-based organisations.

"I am glad that the Department of Education is working towards implementing the e-education strategy, which will contribute to better learning and teaching in public schools."

Mlambo-Ngcuka points out that SA also needs to pay attention to affirmative procurement and empowerment of small and medium enterprises. "In ICT, it is possible to give our people a better chance, unlike some of the older industries. ICT is new and innovation still counts."

Infrastructure expansion

Mlambo-Ngcuka says it was decided at the July Cabinet lekgotla that government would focus on expanding ICT infrastructure in the next couple of months, increasing SA's connectivity at both national and international levels. This will in turn decrease the cost of communications and increase ICT usage, she says.

The deputy president did not elaborate on the specific areas of expansion. However, plans are already in motion to create Infraco, which aims to provide national backhaul infrastructure.

Public enterprises minister Alec Erwin told Business Times this weekend that Infraco will provide wholesale broadband access at no more than 35% of what Telkom charges.

President Thabo Mbeki also recently announced government plans to build two undersea cables with capacity of at least 3TB each.