Deputy Minister for Telecommunications and Postal Services Hon. Prof. Hlengiwe Mkhize will give a keynote address during the second day of the Information Ethics (IE) Conference which will be held at the ICC Premier Hotel in East London.
The Deputy Minister Prof. Mkhize will be speaking under the theme “Digital Opportunities” which is in line with the conference’s working theme that is “Information Ethics and Digital Opportunities.”
Prof. Mkhize will also be part of a panel discussion that will include the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport Weziwe Tikana, the Executive Mayor for Buffalo City Councillor Zukiswa Ncitha, the Chief Information Officer for the Eastern Cape Ayanda Madyibi and Prof. Edwin Ijeoma who will be chairing the discussion.
This conference is the culmination of the Information Ethics work which has been implemented by the University of Pretoria's African Centre of Excellence for Information Ethics (ACEIE), the Department of Telecommunications and other partners throughout the entire continent. This strategic partnership enhances the stature and positioning of collaboration in the country as well as on the African Continent.
The South Africa Connect Broadband Policy of the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services dictates that targets of 100% broadband penetration by 2020. Transforming 70% of all front-line service to e-Service by 2019 must be achieved. Broadband increase internet usage and the society must be prepared to defend the same values as those enshrined in the Constitution.
The aim of the IE conference is to address practical Information Ethics issues that Information and Communications Technology users, policy makers and teachers face. These include creating awareness on the subject of Information Ethics, engaging stakeholders in a critical discussion on the Digital Opportunities Strategy and other issues.
Up to now, their programmes are being implemented through 13 South African Universities and through 50 tertiary institutions in other African countries. Some of these African countries include Nigeria, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Tanzania etc.
The conference was inspired by the Geneva Declaration which was adopted by the Geneva World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in 2003, and is an implementation of Action Line C10 of the Geneva Plan of Action.
In further support of the WSIS activities of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the University of Pretoria and the South African Department of Telecommunications and Postal services signed a formal agreement for the establishment of the African Centre of Excellence for Information Ethics.
This centre is responsible for conducting research and coordination of activities to promote awareness of Information Ethics among various stakeholders in all provinces in South Africa.
The first African Conference on Information Ethics took place in February 2007 under the auspices of UNESCO. It was sponsored by the South African Government’s Department of Communications and organised by the ACEIE (at the University of Pretoria), in collaboration with other academic institutions. The second Information Ethics Conference took place in 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana and the third conference in 2012 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Details of the conference are as follows:
Date: 26 and 27 March 2015
Time: 08h30 – 16h30
Venue: ICC Premier Hotel, East London
RSVP: ACEIE office at aceie@up.ac.za.
Enquiries:
Mpume Madlala
Cell: 081 282 7799
E-mail deputyministermlo@dtps.gov.za
