South Africa’s newly drafted National Integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy White Paper would be finalised by February 2015, new Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Dr Siyabonga Cwele has revealed.

In a response to a Parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance shadow Minister Marian Shinn on July 4, Cwele said the draft White Paper would be presented to the department by the policy review panel in January 2015 before being finalised.

The draft policy also needed to be published for public comment.

In 2012, the former Department of Communications embarked on a policy overhaul to realign its policies with government’s developmental goals and provide a platform for South African companies to further develop the sector to compete globally.

Former Minister Yunus Carrim, who published the Green Paper for the long-awaited policy earlier this year, in March stated that the White Paper would be issued by August this year.

The 22-member review panel, which concluded all the critical research on the frameworks governing telecommunications and information technology, broadcasting, investment and manufacturing, postal services, content development and digitising government, included Rosey Sekese, Joe Mjwara, Charley Lewis, Atul Gupta and Libby Lloyd, besides others.