Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri says the opening of the Nepad e-Africa Commission offices in Pretoria yesterday, will signify an important landmark in efforts to bridge the digital divide in Africa.

It will also put in motion the implementation of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in terms of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).

The minister, together with Ambassador HE Mpoup of Senegal, officially opened the Nepad e-Africa offices.

The e-Africa Commission serves as the primary advisory body to the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSIC) of Nepad on the development of an effective ICT Programme in Africa.

It advises and assists the HSIC on all matters relating to the implementation of ICT programmes under Nepad and recommends action, as well as promotes e-awareness among the citizens of Africa.

"We indicated that we are meeting to celebrate a small but significant milestone in our collective continental effort to bridge the digital divide in Africa and build an inclusive Information Society," said Minister Matsepe-Casaburri.

"We all seem to agree that this Information Society that we seek to build should be development orientated."

In February 1998 African Ministers responsible for Communications met in Cape Town to prepare for the ITU Africa TELECOM 98 which was due to take place that year in May.

In that meeting, the Ministers discussed the need to accelerate the development of the ICT sector in Africa.

"These premises that we offer to host the offices of the Nepad e-Africa Commission represent our humble contribution as a country to the work of Nepad and to the efforts that were begun by all the colleagues on the continent that came before us," Minister Matsepe-Casaburri said - BuaNews.