Joint effort needed to bridge ‘digital divide‘
A top Eastern Cape government official called on Thursday for co-operation between academics, major international ICT businesses, government at all levels, and small enterprises to ensure the “digital divide” was bridged.
Lungi Ngcingwana, chief information officer in the office of the premier in Bhisho, was speaking at the third Eastern Cape information and communication technology summit, attended and addressed by local, national and international delegates.
She stressed ICT was a vital “lubricant” in addressing and implementing broader policies and strategies with the objective of providing a “better life for all”.
In the case of the Eastern Cape, this involved the implementation of the 10-year provincial growth and development programme, initiated in 2004.
Ngcingwana said because of its limited ICT resources, the Eastern Cape‘s ability to deliver services had been “slow”.
But this would be speeded up for greater efficiency and access. “Ideally, we need to know at the click of a (computer) button what is happening in the various areas of our province, right down to the most remote rural village.”
However, she cautioned against systems and technology being introduced at “astronomical prices”, saying what was required was “appropriate technologies at the lowest price”.
Ngcingwana called on stakeholders involved with the provincial government – from multinational companies to small enterprises and academics, to help by carrying out appropriate research and development to assist the province and government to “clear the bottlenecks”.
“What we need are well-developed network infrastructures adapted to local needs.”
Another objective had to be for large corporations to assist small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to develop, with the joint initial objectives of creating jobs, particularly for young people, and having the opportunity to participate in the government tender process. Ngcingwana said the provincial government could assure these smaller companies a strategic framework was in place to enable them to take part in the tender process.
In the longer term, Ngcingwana said, the aim should be for these small local organisations to have a chance to develop into “major players”.
On skills, training and education, she said teachers, academics and their institutions had to realise the increasing need to ensure that their pupils and students received the right education to fill ICT jobs to be created.
At the same time, attention had to be paid to more people in the province, at government and private level, getting more effective and easier access to information and communication technology and the skills needed to use these.
Various discussions and strategies developed at the summit are to be presented to the provincial government next month, according to organisers.
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