Siyabonga Cwele: ICT enabler or oppressor?

As president Jacob Zuma's reshuffled post-election Cabinet knuckles down to business and new ministers and their deputies get to grips with their new portfolios, South Africa's ICT industry is still trying to wrap its collective head around the radical restructuring of one of the country's most crucial ministries - communications.

Historically, the Department of Communications (DOC) was considered a key branch of national government, responsible for the administration of nationally-strategic state-owned entities such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the South African Post Office (SAPO) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). It was also the ministry most closely aligned with the country's ICT sector, mandated to drive policy directives aimed at enabling the development and transformation of IT and communications, within both the public and private sectors.

Unsurprisingly, industry pundits have traditionally considered the portfolio as one of the most politically influential posts within the national Cabinet and, therefore, a sought-after deployment for ambitious politicians.

Thus, the restructure - or 'reconfiguration', as referred to by Zuma - of this department caused widespread ripples within the industry. Many have strongly rejected the move as flawed and regressive.

In essence, reconfiguration saw the DOC split into two separate entities, now known as the DOC and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS), with the latter essentially assuming many of the key functions of and superseding the old communications department.

The new DOC, under the leadership of controversial former municipal manager Faith Muthambi, has effectively taken on the role of a low-tech state propaganda machine. This ministry has been saddled with the running of ICASA, the SABC, Government Communications and Information System, Brand SA, and the Media Development and Diversity Agency.

At the very least, the new structure has been described as confusing. Industry commentators are still trying to unravel the reasoning behind government's divergent approach to these new ministries, which will function under different administrative clusters.

But it was Zuma's choice of former spy boss Siyabonga Cwele to head the DTPS - the true successor to the old DOC - that has raised eyebrows and fuelled fears that the appointment signals government's intent to exert control over the internet and restrict access to information. Some have even ventured that his deployment elevates the threat of electronic surveillance of private citizens to a real and tangible concern.

Cwele's appointment to the portfolio is problematic for a number of reasons, not least of which being that it was purely politically motivated. Industry veteran Adrian Schofield sums up the sector's reaction: "The minister's background is one of state control over information. His appointment to the department that has the most influence over the flow of information would not naturally lead us to believe he is going to open up access, but rather that he would want to be able to close access if there was any threat to the politicians and officials in power."

Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Marian Shinn was also critical of the appointment. "Siyabonga Cwele has no knowledge of the potential of ICT to economic growth and its challenges," she said shortly after the announcement. "His knowledge comes from oversight of electronic surveillance and cyber security through the Ministry of State Security. I fear for our internet freedoms."

We know that Cwele sits at the main table of government, so let's hope he uses his influence to bring ICT to the top of government's priorities.

Mark Walker, IDC

An ANC stalwart, 56-year-old Cwele has survived every administration change since the party came to power in South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, and has served as a Member of Parliament since that year. He has also served as a member of the National Assembly since 1999, and as chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence. Cwele was Minister of Intelligence from 2008 to 2009, and continued as Minister of State Security - the title change coming in May 2009, with the election of Zuma as state president.

While he is considered to be a very influential member within the upper echelons of the ANC and national government, Cwele is undeniably a figure steeped in controversy.

He was one of the main drivers of the contentious Protection of State Information Bill, known as the 'secrecy law', pushing for the inclusion of draconian sanctions, such as a maximum five-year prison sentence for the disclosure of classified information, as well as a clause that would allow the new law to override any other legislation dealing with such information. Just prior to this year's national elections, Cwele also found himself at the centre of the Nkandla scandal - the hotly-debated R246-million security upgrade of Zuma's homestead in KwaZulu-Natal - and faced criticism for allegedly attempting to cover up the issue.

But most South Africans will most likely remember Cwele for making headlines as the husband of an international drug trafficker. In 2011, his then wife, Sheryl, was found guilty of drug trafficking by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Cwele, who was Minister of State Security at the time, denied all knowledge of his wife's activities and the two subsequently split.

So far, though, Cwele has not hinted at any intentions to restrict the free flow of information. On the contrary, the new minister recently announced ambitious plans for the local ICT industry, targeting sterner global competitiveness for the sector.

Delivering his department's budget vote address, Cwele stated that the DTPS has been allocated a budget of R1.59 billion, and said the continued deployment of the country's broadband infrastructure would be prioritised to bridge the divide between rural and urban areas. The plan is to expand the 170 000km of fixed-line fibre currently linking towns and cities.

The forthcoming year, he said, would be characterised by "focused attention on infrastructure rollout, the creation and acceleration of the expansion of e-government services, the co-ordination and streamlining of public entities in the sector, as a well as a reconfigured department, which will ensure policy and regulatory certainty within the ICT sector".

Furthermore, the DTPS aims to build on the gains made under former minister Yunus Carrim, whose administration published the national broadband plan SA Connect - targeting 100% broadband penetration by 2020.

"In the current financial year, R20 million has been allocated for the finalisation of the first phase of the broadband plan," said Cwele. "By end of this month (July), the business case will be finalised that seeks funding to connect 580 clinics, 4 444 schools, 182 police stations, and 572 other government offices in the medium term."

He also noted that the National Broadband Advisory Council was a "critical platform" for engagement between government, private sector, academia and civil society.

Schofield acknowledges that Cwele's early policy statements have been encouraging, expressing the right sentiments. "However, it's not yet clear if the actions to implement those statements will bear out the promise. There's still some confusion over the tasks of the DTPS and DOC, the allocation of portfolio organisations and the loss of momentum of projects initiated by minister Carrim."

Another factor that contributed to the industry's lacklustre reception of Cwele was the popularity of his predecessor. During his short tenure (July 2013 to May 2014), Carrim - appointed by Zuma to replace axed communications minister Dina Pule - gained much respect from the ICT industry, and was considered one of the few ministers in the portfolio to achieve concrete and tangible results. His exclusion from Zuma's new Cabinet elicited an outcry from the ICT sector and opposition politicians. That Carrim's spectre stills looms large over Cwele is clear.

Says Schofield: "Industry was puzzled, confused (and) irritated that the only minister who had shown signs of achieving objectives for many years (Carrim) was side-lined in favour of one whose experience appears to be inappropriate for the role."

Industry was puzzled, confused (and) irritated that the only minister who had shown signs of achieving objectives for many years (Carrim) was side-lined in favour of one whose experience appears to be inappropriate for the role.

Adrian Schofield

During the 10 months under Carrim, the former communications department made several inroads into achieving goals that had been on the backburner for some time. Of the 19 goals Carrim set the department on his appointment, 14 had been fully or partially met. This includes rapidly getting key policies published, filling vital vacancies, connecting schools, and moving on the allocation of much-needed spectrum.

Several other pundits share Schofield's sentiments. In reaction to Cwele's appointment, Dominic Cull, owner of Ellipsis Regulatory Solutions, stated that it was disheartening to have yet another telecoms minister, the sixth since South Africa became a democracy. Cull noted that Carrim gave a sense of hope that the country would move forward in placing communications at the centre of government's agenda, and expressed concern that Cwele's focus would be on control rather than enablement.

The DA was even more critical of the decision to dump Carrim, with Shinn saying she is 'outraged' by the move. "(Carrim) put in exceptional energy and intellectual agility into understanding the complexities and fractiousness of the sector - as well as the potential for corruption between government officials and the cronies - and acted with vigour to resolve the issues."

But some ICT sector observers are already questioning whether Cwele's stated ambitions are realistic and achievable.

Speaking at a recent conference at the University of Pretoria, Cwele assured his audience that South Africa is not blind to the technological advances sweeping the globe, and with the shift to the Internet of Things, the country needs to prepare for a world ruled by internet connectivity.

The department's phlegmatic approach to hiring a permanent CIO has drawn the ire of ICT commentators.

Cwele outlined a future world in which "the majority of the population will have - in one generation - gone from having no or limited internet access to having total access". He said the growth in connected devices - the Internet of things - is just the beginning of a technological revolution.

However, Mark Walker, IDC director of insights and vertical industries for Middle East, Africa and Turkey, warns that - at ministerial level - much politicking tends to occur, but the details are often left to consultants to work out.

Thus, he points out that it's important to keep in mind that while there are many compelling reasons to utilise technology to deliver government services, there is also much hype surrounding the concept of the Internet of things, and says there much be a clear understanding of the state wants to achieve.

"The Internet of things can be as simple as automating some process, or as complex as deploying RFID solutions that would facilitate machine-to-machine communication."

In addition, says Walker, Cwele's technology goals must be viewed in the context of government's priorities. "From government's perspective, providing housing, toilets or running water could be far more urgent than providing broadband access.

"It's also important for government to define how this broadband access will be utilised. Will it be used for surfing the net, or will it be used as an economic growth enabler? This has not been answered yet."

Walker says he hopes Cwele will adopt an innovative and proactive approach to ICT, and points out that the country still has no national ICT policy. "I really hope he is aware of the importance of technology as an economic growth driver. Government needs to ensure that a solid framework (for ICT development) is in place."

Summing up his assessment of Cwele, Walker says that, on the positive side, the new minister comes from a security background and should have a deep understanding of government's cyber security needs, adding that Cwele must have previously been exposed to technology in this context. On the negative side, Walker says Cwele's technology insight could be stifled by the fact that he hails from a closed and conservative environment.

"We know that Cwele sits at the main table of government, so let's hope he uses his influence to bring ICT to the top of government's priorities."

As vexing as Cwele's appointment has been for the ICT sector, the split of oversight functions under the new DOC-DTPS structure has been equally frustrating to grasp. In terms of a proclamation recently signed by Zuma, the administration of the legislation that rules the State IT Agency (SITA) has been shifted to the DTPS, away from the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).

However, the appointment of a government CIO - a key position that is meant to steer and oversee government's ICT functions, policies and directives - remains under the auspices of the DPSA. Incidentally, this post has been vacant for more than three years, and the DPSA recently appointed a second acting CIO since the departure of Michelle Williams in April 2011. The department's phlegmatic approach to hiring a permanent CIO has drawn the ire of ICT commentators.

Yet another oddity of the new split minister is the placement of communications regulator ICASA, which has officially been assigned to the DOC - the department responsible for the dissemination of state information. However, the DTPS has indicated that it has authority to direct the Chapter Nine body.

This move has only served to exacerbate the confusion around the regulator's role and which department it reports to. Both ministers, respectively in charge of the DOC and DTPS, have spoken of the regulator as if it is an entity under their control.

In response to this - despite the presidential proclamation published in a recent Government Gazette - the DA's Shinn notes there is still no clear vision of what is intended by the ministry split.

First published in the September 2014 issue of ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.