Date: 13/03/2012
Source: The Department of Communications
Title: SA: Pule: Address by the Minister of Communications, presenting the strategic and corporate plan, Cape Town

Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Members. Thank you for affording me an opportunity to address this House during the deliberation of the Department of Communications’ (DOC) Strategic Plan and its Corporate Plan.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has proved itself to be fundamental in ensuring social and economic development. We have an opportunity as government to serve our people better and enable the citizens to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
South Africa, like many developing countries, is faced with challenges of ensuring access to basic ICT infrastructure. Improving access to ICT is one of the key Government priorities because this improves the quality of the lives of the people by connecting them to the rest of the world and a bigger universe of services that would not normally be available to them.
The Resolutions of the ANC are put into action in government within the context of the Medium Term Strategic Framework adopted in 2009. Simultaneously, the 12 outcomes of government are a narrative framework for implementing the ANC manifesto – which is our promise to our people.
In this connection, the DOC has embraced the outcomes approach and has aligned programmes with those of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to ensure that they are giving practical effect into the Ministerial Delivery Agreement. As it can be seen in our Strategic Plan presentation, the DOC will be implementing programmes which practical manifest the objectives of six relevant Outcomes.
The DOC’s flagship projects are geared to set the country on a high growth trajectory through access to modern technology and ICT service for all citizens, namely:
• Broadband internet connectivity
• Rural Development and Job creation
• Digital Broadcasting Migration implementation
• Cybersecurity policy implementation
• Radio frequency spectrum policy for national development
• National ICT Policy Framework.

With regards to some of our government programme,
1. Resolution about developing a Research and Development Strategy
a. The DOC has sought to advance the vision of developing a Research and Development Strategy, which key focus is on improving the National System of Innovation (NSI) through the plans to work towards establishing a National ICT Research and Development Council.
b. The establishment of the National ICT R&D Council will provide strategies and policy advice on new growth opportunities.
c. The Measurement of the ICT penetration will be done through publication of the Second eBarometer report by March 2013.
d. Development of a plan to establish the Computer Incident Response Team to combat cyber attacks.
e. DOC will during this current financial year develop an ICT Industry development strategy to support market competitiveness and growth particularly local electronics manufacturing.

2. Regarding the Universal Access and Services
a. The DOC will be amending the Electronic Communications Act to appropriately position Universal Service and Access Agency of SA’s (USAASA) mandate is more clarified in the Act. The capacity of the agency to spend and account for the Universal Service Access Fund will also be articulated in this legislation.
b. The Broadband Master Plan, once finalised, will ensure that rural connectivity is delivered in a coordinated manner with the participation of Sentech and Broadband Infraco.
c. More than 1 650 schools will have internet connection.
d. Licensing of new broadband spectrum will ensure broadband network coverage in rural and underserved areas.
e. Through USAASA, about 100 ICT centres will be established in 2012/13 and DOC will also establish three ICT SMME incubation hubs in three rural provinces.
f. The low power transmitters will be facilitated and launched in several rural and underserved areas including Amathole Region, Cacadu, Chris Hani areas in the Eastern Cape, Xharip, and Thapo Mofutsanyana Free State, Mgungundlovu Region, and areas such as Zululand in KZN, Vhembe, and Capricon Region amongst other in Limpopo, Gert Sibande and Enhlanzeni in Mpumalanga, Bonjanala and Ngaka Modiri Molema Region in the North West, In the Northern Cape, we will focus on areas such as Namaqua, Pixley ka Seme and Siyanda, and JohnTaolo Gaetswe regions.
g. DOC will explore an Edu-Radio programme in partnership with UNISA and further finalise a plan for establishing nine Digital Content Generation Hubs in all of our nine provinces. Funding will need to be appropriated during this year.
h. In this financial year, digital signal will reach over 74 percent of the population.

3. On Training and Capacity Building in the ICT Skills,

a. The Institute for Satellite and Software Applications (ISSA), the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA) and the Meraka Institutes (e-SI) are training institutions targeting historically disadvantaged individuals in an effort to boost the skills output in the ICT environment.
b. In 2012/13, further training will be provided by these institutions. The e-Skills Institute, and signing of five MOU will support the expanding the e-Skills Research network.
c. Several private sector institutes have also been established, such as the Cisco Academy, Altron Academy and the MTN School of Excellence.

4. All municipalities should have a community radio station and community newspaper, all communities to have access to ICTs by 2014
a. Over 133 Community Radio Stations have been licensed since 1994. Over 100 of these are operating. Between 90 and 110 municipalities are without a community radio station.
b. The DOC will provide support to the community radio stations by providing infrastructure to new radio stations.

5. The Resolution on the establishment of a national youth radio service, dedicated TV and Radio parliamentary channels, predominant local content and regional television channels.

a. The SABC’s will produce a fully fledged parliamentary channel as well as two channels reflective of provinces will be established with the advent of digital broadcasting.
b. The SABC will also establish a National Youth Radio Station using digital transmission on TV after the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) environment is launched.

6. On the SABC public funding of up to 60% of SABC needs.
a. Public contributions to the revenues of the SABC still remain at about 20 percent. The 60 percent quota funding requirement remains a distant possibility. This has a profound impact on the nature and extent of services provided by the SABC.
b. During DTT, public content programming will be supported through public funding. These funds will be requested from the National Treasury. The SABC will submit a clear funding request aligned to its mandate of public broadcasting in channels such as health and education.
c. Government continues to fund the SABC’s digital migration technology transition, including studio upgrades.
The success or failure of ICT interventions to enable development will continue to depend on how all spheres of government, including State Owned Enterprise conceptualize ICT and development, successful implementation.
I have begun the process of ensuring that there is capacity within the Department in policy development and in exercising oversight role on the entities under our reporting line.
In fighting against crime and corruption, Cabinet on the 8th March 2012, has approved the cybersecurity policy which is a systematic, coordinated national effort to:
• Create a safe and secure cyberspace in order to build confidence and security in use of ICT’s
• Ensure that ICT Infrastructure is secure, robust and reliable to support a multiplicity of applications and services
• Create legal, technical and institutional capacity to mitigate and manage cybercrime and cyber threats
• Protect SA’s sovereign interest in cyberspace
• Improve SA’s competitiveness of the economy
• Draw on foreign direct investment
• Enable creation of sustainable employment

I will ensure that Universal Access and Universal Service be the concept for and bedrock of key policy proposals. We have moved to deliver on the promises that the ANC made to the country. But, a lot more work still needs to be done. We, as Team DOC, are committed to improving the quality of the lives of South Africans by making ICTs accessible and affordable. Thank You.