The Department of Communications commemorated Africa Telecommunications Day on 7 December, in celebration of the establishment of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU).
The ATU, established by the African Union on 7 December 1977, is the leading continental organisation that has been fostering the development of information and communication technologies infrastructure and services. It is also the regional body for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and coordinates the regional positions in relation to the standardisation, radio communication and development information communication technology (ICT) agenda.
The Communications Minister, Mr Radhakrishna (Roy) Padayachie and his Deputy, Mr Obed Bapela, spearheaded the celebration, bringing renewed vigour and setting an agenda for the telecommunications sector. Minister Padayachie emphasised that this year’s theme for the ATU celebrations, spoke to the pillars that the department plans to address within the telecommunications sector in the next 12 months.
“The theme for this year, ICT services for the promotion of peace and security in Africa, speaks to our short and long term goals as a ministry. We are committed to educating the general public about the importance of ICTs in the advancement of society’s goals and the creation of a better life for our people. In taking the theme forward the South African Government is committed towards the advancement of peace and stability in the continent of Africa,” said Mr Padayachie.
The department will embark on outreach programmes to ensure that the South African community is kept abreast with the value that ICT brings in relation to improved service delivery. The Ministry of Communications will engage with licensed operators, original equipment manufacturers including educational institutions to ensure that a sustainable capacity building programme is developed and delivered to our people. The Minister will also ensure that the infrastructure will serve as a platform for the capacity building programme is made available.
The biggest achievement of the ATU is definitely the central role it has played in the coordination of Africa’s ICT development needs to meet the global standards of best practice. It has been called on by the African Union to develop innovative ways of making use of ICT and other means of disseminating, exchanging and using information conducive to peace and development.
The tenure of the Ministry marks the wave of change which will see the department actualising the vision that the Department of Communications has to be ‘A Global Leader in the development and use of ICTs for socio-economic development and the betterment of people’s lives’. The commitment by Minister Padayachie is to achieve this through building a people centred inclusive information society in a sustainable world class ICT environment.
Key achievements within the department to date have been to drive and lead the telecommunications and broadcasting technologies, including: the local electronic manufacturing of the Set-Top Box, being at the forefront of the Oliver Tambo Declaration which seeks to promote development in the continent through ICT infrastructure, and being one of the two countries that has cyber legislation and Computer Incidence Response Security (CIRST).
South Africa has also been awarded a seat on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council election; an achievement which will see South Africa’s ICT commitment to the world by building strong partnerships for policy development with international counterparts.
The department has also implemented long term projects which aim to promote the uptake and usage of ICTs on a national scale and contribute to bridging the digital divide. Another important priority for the department is to finalise the ICT Rural Development Strategy which will see the roll out of an information society to rural areas. This will see ICT tools being made available to rural communities in order for them to be able to connect to the information superhighway, whilst also producing the financial resources to sustain rural communities.
“We will ensure that our programme is attained through partnerships with private sector, civil society, labour, other government departments and their institutions. It is also important that we develop monitoring an evaluation mechanism to make sure that we measure our success and improve where required”, concludes Minister Padayachie.
