Cape Town an 'IT success story'
Zibonele Ntuli
27 January 2005
Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburri has praised Cape Town for positioning itself as one of the South Africa's most technologically advanced cities.
Speaking at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) ICT annual forum meeting in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Matsepe-Casaburri said that through partnering with a leading IT company, Cape Town was now a "frontrunner" in the country's national IT strategy.
"The benefits for all have been enormous - e-government services have been developed and services to citizens have been improved", the minister said. "All city employees have access to mainstream banking, giving low-income employees a measure of economic empowerment.
"The cherry on the top ... is that they have instituted the largest IT training programme in our history, boosting the IT skills of the city by training thousands of employees."
Cape Town's Smart City strategy aims to empower local
government to address developmental needs through efficient and accountable information and communication technology (ICT).
The initiative has won a number of awards, including the 2002/03 African ICT Achiever's E-Government Award. In 2003, the Smart Cape Access project received US$1-million Gates Foundation Access to Learning Award.
In 2004, the city received the coveted 21st-Century Achievement Award from the Computerworld Honors program, hosted in Washington DC, for visionary use of information technology in the category of government and non-profit organisations.
One of the greatest challenges for the city, Matsepe-Casaburri said, had been to link programmes and projects across all spheres of government. What the city had done, she said, had "opened an opportunity for skills and experience to be brought to local, provincial and national government".
She added that the ICT sector was recognised as holding immense opportunities for job creation and economic
growth and development in South Africa.
The Convergence Bill has been approved by government and is being prepared for the parliamentary process. The Bill aims to stimulate ICT skills training for women, young people and the disabled.
"Once the Bill becomes law, it will provide boundless opportunities for economic advancement for those interested in exploring the social and economic benefits of the sector", Matsepe-Casaburri said.
Source: BuaNews
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