Services Agency (USA) INK Community Digital Hub
16 May 2006
The Minister of Communications, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, will be launching
the ink (Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) Community Digital Hub at John
Langalibalele (JL) Dube Stadium, Inanda, on 19 May 2006 at 10h00, to address
technical and functional obstacles of rolling out information and communication
technologies (ICTs) in the under-serviced areas of South Africa.
The launch is organised by the Universal Services Agency (USA), a portfolio
organisation of the Department of Communications, which is tasked with the
roll-out of ICT infrastructure in the country.
In his 21 May 2004 State of the Nation Address, President Thabo Mbeki said
that the Departments of Public Service and Administration, Provincial and Local
Government, and Communications ought to work together to ensure that modern ICT
are introduced in the development nodes as quickly as possible, to assist in
all their developmental and governance efforts.
In response to that call the Department of Communications and the USA
partnered with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and the Ethekwini Metro
to establish the INK Community Digital Hub.
The Digital Hubs are advanced ICT centres where local communities can access
ICT services, including access to skills development and capacity building for
optimal utilisation of ICT services and to foster integrated approach in the
use of ICTs for social and economic development in nodal areas of South Africa.
The INK Community Digital Hub is also launched in partnership with the MTN
SA.
The Universal Services Agency and MTN SA recently signed a memorandum of
understanding, where MTN committed to partner the Agency in providing ICT
infrastructure and capacity building at selected Multi-purpose Community
Centres and ICT Hubs around the country.
Commenting on the coming launch, Minister Matsepe-Casaburri said that it is
fulfilling to witness ICTs being rolled out to communities that need them the
most.
Dignitaries that will attend the launch include the Deputy Minister of
Communications, Mr Radhakrishna Padayachie, the Ethekwini Mayor, Mr Obed Mlaba,
USA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sam Gulube as well as representative from the
KwaZulu-Natal Premierâs office and representatives from various
stakeholders.
All media is invited to attend.
INK Community Digital Hub background
INK stands for Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwa Mashu. The Digital Hub, situated in
the township of Inanda, was established in response to the call made by
President Mbeki in his State of the Nation address in 2001. The President
called on all spheres of Government to co-operate to ensure that modern
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are introduced in
developmental nodes in support of developmental and governance efforts.
Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwa Mashu townships are part of the urban nodal areas
referred to by the President. These areas are under-serviced settlements with
little infra-structural, social and economic development. They also have a high
unemployment rate, especially among the youth, which is a root cause of many
social and economic challenges facing the INK community, such as crime,
poverty, abuse, violence, high mortality, etc.
The digital hub
The Universal Services Agency (USA), a portfolio organisation of the Department
of Communications, is mandated to roll out Information and Communication
Technologies in under-serviced and underdeveloped areas, and the INK digital
hub is one such project.
Isibandi Soluntu Development Trust, a local partner of the USA, was
appointed to manage the INK Community Digital Hub project, which is part of a
network of 194 Cyberlabs and Telecentres planned throughout the country as part
of USAâs community ICT roll-out plan.
The INK Community Digital Hub:
* offers ICT skills training to the local community
* has a computer refurbishment Workshop
* develops PC technicians who will offer technical support to other Hub
centres, telecentres and surrounding schools that have cyberlabs
* refurbishes and recycles computers to be rented out at a small fee to local
Small, Medium Micro-Enterprise (SMMEâs)/co-operatives, learners, students,
community-based organisations and faith-based organisations
* is a multi-media centre.
The centre has video conferencing services with highly advanced
telecommunication technology. The facility serves as a high tech meeting place
in the area, and is the melting pot of exciting exchanges between the local
youth and their counterparts in African countries such as Kenya and abroad. The
University of South Africa has also been approached to utilise this centre for
distance learning lectures to create access for local students.
Administration Block
The Administration Block was fashioned from old containers that were
utilised as a Community Health Centre by Inanda Civic Association and the
Cancer Association in the early 90âs, which were refurbished for the purpose.
It is envisaged that, by 2015, all community members within the INK Nodal Area
will have wide access to improved Information and Communication Technology and
will be a highly skilled and highly innovative community with at least 80% of
the youth and 60% women having basic ICT literacy.
Enquiries
Zodumo Mbuli:
Cell: 084 777 2077
Albi Modise:
Cell: 083 490 2871
Sandile Nzuza:
Cell: 078 268 2463
Issued by: Department of Communication
16 May 2006
