17 May 2002
Director of Ceremonies,
The Minister of Communications,
His Majesty, the King,
The Honourable Premier,
Representatives of Government at all levels,
Captains of Commerce and Industry in the Telecommunications Sector,
Amakhosi,
Members of Indwedwe Community,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am truly happy, and indeed very honoured for the opportunity to interact with you on this very important day in the world calendar.
It is important because World Telecommunications Day is a celebration of the steady advances the world has been making in this field for more than a hundred years.
It is significant to note that in South Africa we have decided to celebrate this day in a manner that specifically focuses on our most underdeveloped communities in the different provinces. I am therefore very happy that this year the celebrations are held here in Ndwedwe, in this province of KwaZulu-Natal. It indicates our belief that information and communications technologies are not just for the cities.
Equally fitting, ladies and gentlemen, is the international theme for this year's celebration of "ICTs for Everyone; empowering people to cross the digital divide". This is important because it speaks to the very crucial transformation work we, as a Government, as a people and as a country, are engaged in.
Ladies and gentlemen, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has vast, untapped potential in fighting the scourge of poverty in our country, and elsewhere in the world. We also believe that we have already made significant progress towards ensuring that people have access to some form of communication.
However, we also understand that we have a long way to go to ensure that the full benefits of ICT are being harnessed and spread in equal measure between rural and urban areas, across income and education levels, irrespective of people's age or gender.
I am sure you will agree with me that it is wrong that only five percent of South Africans have access to the Internet, and that there are probably hundreds of people who have never seen a telephone in their lives, let alone use one.
Surely, this must pose a notable challenge, not only for Government but also to ordinary people and the corporate sector. In responding to this challenge it would be appropriate for all of us to join hands, in a partnership of change, of empowerment and of crossing the digital divide.
We are encouraged by the involvement of some of our country's foremost players in the ICT industry in this and other similar programmes. We hope that this initiative on their part will spur others on to join them as we continue to shape our new society, as we continue to advance, as a nation and a continent, toward an African Century.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have realised that ICT plays a crucial role in the empowerment of people, and in development in general. It is true that ICT impacts on every aspect of our lives, from the way we work to how we live and play. When someone in our home needs urgent medical attention, at night, we need to be able to telephone an ambulance. We need to have access to computers, the Internet and many other forms of communication.
In achieving the universal access we envisage, we must remind ourselves of the declaration that was adopted at the World Telecommunications Development Forum in Istanbul earlier this year. It was agreed that the 'digital divide' needs to be reduced to bring opportunities to countries like ours, and to create conditions for maximum benefits from new services that are aimed at accelerating development.
It was also agreed that the opportunities derived from modern technology should be used fully to foster sustainable development. In addition, there was consensus that the world would increasingly benefit from new opportunities in electronic learning, health, education, commerce and governance.
Ladies and gentlemen, the universal consensus is that universal or all-round access to ICT is the gateway to economic prosperity. It allows interaction and knowledge, contributes to higher productivity and ultimately general well being. By providing access to communities we can achieve universal access, especially in South Africa where there is a major ICT infrastructure shortage.
Because we have identified e-commerce as an important area for significant growth and development, we must focus our collective efforts on the extensive development of the ICT infrastructure. Where, in the past, it was used as ways to exclude people we now must spread the ICT network countrywide, to include all.
It is clear, ladies and gentlemen, that we have a long and difficult road ahead of us especially if we are to ensure that even the most rural communities, like the people in Ndwedwe, have universal access to ICT.
We also need to work even harder as a country if we want to ensure that individuals, small businesses or rural craftsmen and women can connect to the rest of the world to market their labour and products.
We are calling on all key stakeholders in the ICT sector, civil society and the industry, to intervene in this imbalance in a way that is deliberate and focused. Together we can realise the dream of connecting even the poorest, most remote areas to the global economy.
Such an intervention, you would agree, would leapfrog the inadequate, complex and costly distribution channels of the transport infrastructure.
We can begin, Madam Minister, by prioritising the community of Ndwedwe for universal access to ICT - by bringing the necessary technology to where the people are.
The ideal is that a person living here should not have to travel to Durban to make a phone call, fax or post a letter, send email or use the Internet. The services should be available here.
It is only this commitment to work together on a project of this scale that will ensure success. And it is clear now that success will directly translate into growth, development and a better life for all.
We have a unique opportunity to place our people directly in charge of their destiny, by providing them the opportunity to be the best they can be. They will be infinitely better equipped to deal with the social challenges South Africans face everyday.
Once we have a healthy, empowered nation we can work towards the promise of an African Century with greater confidence, greater competence and greater hope.
I must once again congratulate all those who have worked hard to make this day a success, from the local communit to the government structures at all levels. It has shown that ICT is not a luxury but a necessity.
I Thank you.