Honourable Chairperson

Honourable Members of the House and Members of Cabinet present,

Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on

Communications,

Chairperson and Members of the Select Committee

Minister of Communications, Honourable Dina Pule,

Distinguished guests from the ICT sector,

Ladies and gentlemen

Good morning.

 

Honourable Chairperson,

 

Timeless wisdom tells us that the past explains the present and the present determines the future. The essence of this colorful day therefore lies in the story of our past, and it was shaped by our past. The total disregard of democratic values as well as the suppression of popular participation of the black majority in areas of information & communication technology is the basis of our meeting today as we try to correct the past divide and find amicable solutions which will lead us to our vision of ensuring broadband access for all.

We have invited industry players and all ICT patriots to descend to the Cape of Good Hope today, not to revel in just another annual pastime, but to remind them that we don't take our freedom and democracy for granted. On the contrary, we demand of them to work with government as we foster this paradigm shift and make our country a friendlier nation to ICT.

 

Twenty years ago, the journey of empowering our communities through ICTs started.  Although this journey may predate 1993, it was only 20 years ago that a firm roadmap was agreed and committed to by all South Africans in a participatory and transparent manner.  This commitment was premised on a firm understanding that the hard-long freedom of all South Africans cannot be realized without the right to information – a basic human right.  As we have noted in the last 20 years, this fundamental human right cannot be fully exercised without Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that are secure, robust, reliable and universally accessible.  ICTs are the medium through which information travels.  In our submission to a 20 year review undertaken by government through the Presidency earlier this year, we have chronicled how as the Department of Communications have contributed to this journey.  

 

I stand before you this morning to give a clear sypnosis, in addition to the Minister's input, wherein I will not only share with you our progress in respect to the commitments we made before this esteemed House during the previous Financial year and our plans for this Financial year. Instead, I want to draw your attention and highlight our contribution to the 20 -year journey in:

 

• Empowering communities through community radio
• Supporting learning through school connectivity
• Ensuring Information security by vigorously combating the high spiraling scourge of cybercrime
• Continually re-skilling our youth for the knowledge economy and;
• Addressing the challenges for people with disabilities through ICTs

 

 

 

Empowering communities

 

               Fellow South Africans,

 

As Minister Pule has mentioned in her speech, the year 2013 is important for it marks the 20 years since the first:

 

• Independent regulator (the IBA and today ICASA) was established to regulate broadcasting in the public interest in line with the Constitution,
• First community radio station was licensed in South Africa.  

 

The licensing of community radio in South Africa has been a long struggle waged in collaboration with the international world.  Today there are over 133 community radio stations licensed in South Africa and over 75% of them have received support from the Department of Communications.  We commend other departments and state-owned entities across the three spheres of government who continue to offer various kinds of support to the sector.  This is a sector that is synonymous with our selfless struggle for democracy that people like Chris Hani sacrificed their lives for and it therefore needs to be supported.  

 

Notwithstanding the perennial challenges that continue to bedevil the sector such as governance, this is a major achievement worth celebrating as a country for it has provided access to the means of communication by the communities, particularly those in rural and remote areas in their individual languages.  As we celebrate these achievements, the critical question is how to sustain the sector for more years to come.  As a Department, we have already committed ourselves to build a thriving community broadcasting sector of which radio is, but one part as evidenced by the following:    

• We have invested over R400 million into the sector since 1998 

 

• The implementation of the new signal distribution subsidy scheme, through the public signal distributor, Sentech which took effect on 1 September 2012.  This new subsidy will see signal distribution costs for community radio located in rural and nodal areas being covered in full by the Department for the next four years.  Urban based stations’ costs, will only be covered up to 70%.  Over R6 Million has been set aside for this scheme over the next 4 years.  

 

• During 2012, we further ring-fenced 40 rural based stations for guided capacity building programme in content production through NEMISA to improve their programme offering.  We hope that the dramas and documentaries to be produced through this special programme will be broadcast across all the community stations by October this year.  

 

 Information Society and Development

 

Honourable Chairperson!

 

On empowering communities I must say that we are making sure that rural communities are not marginalised.  Together with our entities and some private companies we have established ICT centres throughout the country including some traditional authorities.  My esteemed special guests The King of AmaXhosa, Zwelonke Sigcau and the Chairperson of National HTL Kgosi Maubane are here to bear witness to our progressive initiative of bringing ICTs to rural communities.  This program will over time be rolled out to other traditional authorities throughout the country.  

 

Working together with the Department of Correctional Services and Microsoft on youth e-literacy programme we have supported over 100 beneficiaries that obtained ICDL certificate in correctional service centers in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape and Western Cape.

 

Honourable Chairperson!

 

For this financial year, our major focus will be on the following:

 

• Rollout of broadcast equipment to 15 stations that are new, requiring upgrade and those with single studios.  

 

• Finalization of the new Community Broadcasting Support Policy that will not only outline how community broadcasting will be supported, but how to extend such support to community Television.   Linked to this policy, we will further finalise a model for implementing community TV in South Africa.  This model is important in consideration of the capital intensive nature of community TV.  We therefore, have to implement it in such a way that is financially prudent and offer huge economic benefit to the country in terms of job creation and local content development.  We see community TV as a major strategic window to showcase and promote provincial development.

 

• In consideration of the upcoming National elections in 2014, we will partner with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to train Community radio stations on how to cover National elections.  This will be a sequel of a successful training programming that we did in preparation for the 2011 Local government elections.  The strength of community radio in National election coverage lies in its accessibility and ability to speak the language of the communities.  

  Supporting learning through school connectivity,

 

Honourable Members,

ICTs, particularly new technologies are critical vehicles to facilitate learning at our schools.  It is on this basis that during the previous financial year we engaged aggressively in rolling out broadband to connecting schools and community centres in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

 

During the past financial year, we committed to connecting 1650 schools to the Internet as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy project.  I am pleased to inform this house that 854 schools have been connected to date.  This number excludes those commendable initiatives by the private sector as part of their license conditions and their Community Social Investment (CSI) programmes.  We will be connecting 2000 schools this year and further engagements are taking place with various operators to increase this number.

 We are going to establish a forum comprising the DOC, DBE, ICASA, SOEs and the private sector to develop a school connectivity model and implementation framework.. The impact of this approach will ensure that school connectivity programme is coordinated seamlessly in the country, whilst optimally utilising resources. It is through this framework that we will be able to monitor and evaluate the impact of the school connectivity programme.  

Ensuring Information security and Combating Cybercrime,

 

Honourable Chairperson!

Cybercrime has become an inevitable reality that confronts all the online communities across the world.  Identity fraud, stalking, online child pornography and terrorism have become daily occurrences that threaten our communities to enjoy the benefits of new technologies.  As we expand access to the Internet, we also need a strong measure to ensure basic trust and security to the public as the users.  This requires collaboration between departments, civil society and business to build institutional mechanisms to investigate cyber crimes and anticipate threats.    

 

Following the approval of the Cybersecurity Policy in 2012, we will during this financial year prioritise the functionality of a Cybersecurity Hub to pool public and private sector threat information. The Hub will be responsible for processing and disseminating information to relevant stakeholders in the industry and civil society.

 All computer users have a role in securing cyber space and ensuring that the digital environment is secure and utilized reasonably to profit the socio-economic well being of the nation.

 

Address the challenges for people with disabilities through ICTs

 

Our journey of building an information society cannot be complete without addressing the challenges facing people with disabilities.  This is a commitment that runs across our policy formulation.  Our country is already a signatory to numerous international agreements that mainstream access to technology for people with disabilities. ICASA is playing a crucial role in helping the country to fulfill this commitment.  A Code of practice on People with Disabilities in line with Section 70 of the amended Electronic and Communications Act (ECA) has been developed

 

Continually re-skilling our youth for the knowledge economy,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The e-Skills institute continued on its progressive path to e-Skilling South Africa for equitable prosperity and global competitiveness.

 

The completion of the integration plan for e-Skills Institute, the Institute for Satellite and Software Applications and the National Electronic Media Institute of SA (NEMISA) was launched yesterday by the Minister. The new institute is positioning South Africa well to harness existing resources and develop new approaches to the coordination of appropriate capacity development, using its multi-stakeholder platform to contribute to the massification of e-skills delivery at all levels.

This year the Institute increased its visibility at a provincial and national level and impacted more than 30 000 South Africans at various levels, from decision makers, consumers of technology, practitioners in the ICT and broadcasting sectors as well as communities.

 

 ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA)

 

The ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) is celebrating 10 years since it was established in 2003.  A legal framework to support the establishment of the ZA Central Registry which is intended to uplift the operational standards in .ZA – is being finalized.

 

 The ZA Central Registry, through ZADNA's guidance and the AU Commission, has made significant progress in its application for a right to establish and operate a .Africa Internet namespace for the benefit of Africa. ZADNA has also ensured that our cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg are not left behind in the Internet revolution which will see some of the leading world cities, such as London, Paris and Sydney, have their own exclusive Internet spaces. As a result ladies and gentlemen, expect to see in the near future, new website addresses such as hotels.capetown, tourism.durban and business.johannesburg."

 

Honourable Chairperson,

 

The successes we are presenting here this morning speak to the battles we have successfully won and the zeal displayed by both our officials and all role players in the ICT space. Once again, we give this house and the country at large, the assurance that we have what it takes to achieve universal access by ensuring that robust information and communication technologies are accessible, usable and affordable to all. We will continue to make strategic interventions in providing necessary support to this sector, working with our entities and the private sector. Despite the financial constraints which might have a direct bearing on the roll out of universal service and access for all, we will dare not renege from the commitment we have made to our people because we come from a glorious tradition of struggle and self- reliance, no price can be too much for us to pay.

 

Honourable Chairperson... Allow me, with all humility, to thank my caring and supportive husband Mr Abrahams and our beautiful children for their continued support and understanding that, in more instances than not, they have to share me with the nation. 

 

To Minister Pule, thank you for the team effort that we continue to demonstrate as we lead into the future ICT South Africa.

 

Let me thank my cabinet colleagues as well as my hardworking staff and the entire DOC team for their commitment and dedication particularly during this time as we conclude our 5-year mandate of President Zuma's administration.  

Special thanks to the portfolio committee on communications for their sound oversight over our work. 

Honourable Chairperson, we dare not fail our people.

 

I thank you, Ndiyabulela!