Development (NEPAD) Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
infrastructure roll-out protocol
16 October 2006
Cape Town - Zimbabwe and Botswana are the latest countries to sign the
protocol to roll-out the NEPAD ICT Infrastructure Project. The ICT Ministers of
Botswana and Zimbabwe signed the Policy and Regulatory Framework Protocol for
the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network at a ceremony in Cape Town
today, bringing the number of countries committed to the protocol to nine. The
signing was attended by ICT Ministers of South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia, as
well as the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr
Benard Zoba.
Today's signing follows an earlier ceremony held in Kigali, Rwanda on 29
August 2006, during which seven countries signed the protocol at a ceremony
presided over by the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame. The Ministers present at
the Kigali meeting agreed to extend the protocol signing period to 30 November
2006 to allow the other countries time to consult.
South African Minister of Communications, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, who
chaired the meeting, said, "This African-led, predominantly African owned and
managed project based on values of equitability, open access and self
determination, will be judged by history as the beginning of our long road to
freedom. By co-operating and working together, I have no doubt that history
will judge us kindly. This move is our collective step of self-reliance and
self determination, it is a move toward getting solutions to our own problems
through appropriation of our collective intellectual capacities and
knowledge."
The NEPAD e-Africa Commission, under the auspices of the AU, hosted the
signing ceremony, which includes the Eastern Africa Sub-marine System (EASSy)
cable.
Executive Deputy Chairperson of NEPAD e-Commission, Dr Henry Chasia, said
that "all stakeholders agree on the need for the network and the need to for it
to be constructed as soon as possible." He added that there was a growing
constituency in the East and Southern Africa region in support of the
development of the network.
The signing of the Protocol will allow for the setting up of a Project
Steering Committee to kick-start the implementation of the Broadband
Infrastructure Network, which includes the EASSy cable.
Enquiries:
Samuel Mikenga
Cell: 072 529 6769
E-mail: smikenga@eafricacommission.org /
s.mikenga@paris.com
Richard Mantu
Cell: 072 488 1520
E-mail: Richardm@doc.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Communications
16 October 2006
