Honourable Minister of Transport from Namibia: Mr Errki Nghimtina
Distinguished guests from the Government of Namibia
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning and a warm welcome to you all.
Since attaining democracy in 1994, South Africa has put regional integration by Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states on the top of its foreign social and economic agenda. This approach follows from the belief in the economic benefits that can be brought to all member states by closer economic cooperation in the region. To support this approach, South Africa has reviewed its role in promoting various areas of development with regard to infrastructure, economic growth, trade, social development, health and education programmes, among others, with other SADC members.
We have also adopted the SADC Trade Protocol, promoted investment by South African firms in SADC and helped to facilitate greater volumes of trade by South Africa and other SADC members.
South Africa took over the chair of SADC in August 2008. During the SADC Summit, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was launched. The theme of the SADC FTA is SADC FTA for Growth and Wealth Creation. The FTA provides preferential space towards regional business and its citizens by opening up opportunities for investment through reducing market risk and transaction costs and creating a network of regional businesses interconnection. The FTA is a vital stepping stone towards a SADC Common Market, where the movement of people would be unrestricted and free.
Freeing trade in the region will create a larger market, releasing the potential for trade, economic growth and employment creation.Our engagements with the Namibian counterparts today are centered on the handing over of National Traffic Information System (eNaTIS) from the Department of Transport in South Africa to Namibia and the signing of the agreement. The Department of Transport undertook to make available the National Road Traffic Information System to all the member states of the SADC region, in order to have a harmonised system that can be used within the region and is able to link with each other to deal with road traffic related information within the region.
During 1996, at a SADC Ministerial meeting, the then Minister of Transport offered the National Traffic Information System to the entire region. The first member state to take up the offer was Namibia, and around 1998 it implemented and has been running the system ever since. The Department of Transport South Africa has implemented and is currently running a new version of the National Road Traffic Information System (eNaTIS). Thus, Namibia also wants to migrate from their old system into the new system that is being used in the Republic of South Africa.
For us to facilitate working process regarding the transfer of the eNaTIS to the Namibia Department of Transport, officials from the authority responsible for the system in Namibia were invited to attend various meetings in South Africa regarding the working process of the current system. The Namibian delegates were then taken through the entire training process of the current system, and were issued with training manuals provided to users of the system in the Republic. In addition, the delegates also attended various road traffic management service points that handled all the issues regarding the working process of the system. They were also taken through various transactions and the help desks services offered in relation to the system.
The operational differences of the systems operational in Namibia and the current eNaTis system were identified, wherein it was highlighted that it would be easier to implement the current system rather than upgrading the previous system that is operational in Namibia.
Memorandum od Understanding (MoU) issues
- The MoU issues between us is that the Namibian Department of Transport shall not offer or sell any of the systems process and configuration to any person, body, entity, institution and organisation without obtaining approval from the Department of Transport - Republic of South Africa. The Namibian Department of Transport shall conduct a security audit at least twice every year or if required by the South African Department of Transport where there is a possible breach of security and the security audit shall be conducted according to internationally accepted best practices, approved by the Information Security Framework and one audit which shall include officials from the South African government.
- Further, the Namibian Department of Transport must ensure that it protects any eNaTIS system from any potential breaches of security or tampering by means of the network link or interface between the Eternal System and the eNaTIS by any other person to the satisfaction of the Department of Transport South Africa. The Department of Transport may also at any given time take action it deems necessary to preserve the security and reliable operation of the Namibian eNaTIS operational setup, together with the third party user and any persons that have access to the system.
- The service provider appointed by the Namibian Department of Transport shall not use or distribute tools designed to compromise the security of the eNaTIS or the systems of other persons, and the service provider may not use any service or the DoT services to compromise the security of, or tamper with, system resources or accounts on computers at the DoT. Examples of these tools include, but are not limited to, password guessing programmes, cracking tools or network probing tools.
- The South African Department of Transport must have an unfettered access to all the sites within Namibia operations where eNaTIS has been installed. Furthermore, a Service level Agreement between the two departments will be concluded to ensure that all the operational requirements and integrity of the system is protected.
Copyrights and all other intellectual property rights in relation to the system, documents, materials and software provided through the MoU will rest in the South African Department of Transport.
Training
The Department hands over the eNaTIS system under the following understanding:
- The Department of Transport - South Africa will provide all the technical support required for the smooth migration of the Namibian system to the eNaTIS system, wherein all the cost associated with the support will be borne by the Namibian Department of Transport.
- All the required training of users will be conducted by the Department of Transport at the training facilities provided by the South African Department of Transport. Major training to selected officials of the Namibian Department of transport together with an approved technical service provider will be conducted in the Republic of South Africa, wherein the trainers will provide the necessary training to the users in Namibia.
- Minor training to be held at the premises of the Namibian Department of Transport will be provided free of charge and the Namibian Department of Transport will cover the cost related to accommodation and travelling.
Service Provider
- The service provider appointed to manage the operation of the Namibian eNaTIS system must be approved only with the concurrence of the South African Department of Transport.
- The appointed service provider must comply with the legal requirements of both States and have been vetted and issued with the security clearance of both contracting countries.
- The service provider or any its subsidiaries must declare all its business interest and sign a confidentiality agreement relating to the information of the system, and must not divulge or transact with any system that is closely related to the information, configuration, technical infrastructure, security, etc of the working of the eNaTIS system for a period of not less that 10 (ten) years.
- The service provider shall not use or distribute tools designed to compromise the security of the eNaTIS or the systems of other persons and the service provider may not use any Service to compromise the security of, or tamper with, system resources or accounts on computers at the DoT.
- The Namibian Department of Transport shall not do or permit anything to be done that shall or is likely to compromise the security of eNaTIS. It shall inform the South African Department of Transport of any known breaches of security or any known potential risks to the Service performed by the system.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen this eNaTIS development is a milestone in our endeavour to secure safe and secure traffic registration and transaction systems in our countries. Let's take this opportunity to better our services and improve our countries in using this very important technological tool.
I thank you.
Source: SAPA
