It is common knowledge that digitisation is the logical next step for the public sector. Consequently, we are seeing governments around the globe take steps towards delivering digital e-government with varying levels of success.
Mohamed Cassoojee, vice-president and country manager for Software AG South Africa, says that one of the most prominent hurdles in the digitisation of public sector functions is how to take existing systems, which were not designed to cater for the volume of service delivery we are currently seeing, and fairly quickly implement upgraded systems that can deliver services more efficiently.
Read more: ZA: Public sector digitalisation builds on legacy
The newly formed Gauteng e-government department yesterday convened a two-day summit in Midrand to introduce what will hopefully lead to more efficient service delivery and shorter queues at local offices.
Gauteng premier David Makhura joined Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe and Gauteng's MEC of finance, Barbara Creecy, to inaugurate the new digital department yesterday.
Officials within South Africa's Gauteng provincial government have lauded the e-government programme saying it will help to fast-track the provision of broadband connectivity to link up government departments, agencies and service delivery points.
The programme, which is already being implemented in the province, will be launched officially at a two-day ICT Summit in Johannesburg.
The summit will cover e-learning, e-health and other ICT investments that have the potential to improve service delivery reads a statement from government.
South Africa’s Gauteng province intends to make all 2,200 schools in the region smart classrooms over the next few years; this is according to Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng MEC for Education told CNBC Africa.
Lesufi made the comments on the sidelines of the e-Government summit on information technology.
“We have covered almost 376 schools and we are expanding into four hundred schools by the end of the next year. We intend to cover 2,200 school populations in our province,” said Lesufi.
Read more: ZA: Gauteng's plan to turn all schools into smart classrooms
The creation of an ICT research council in South Africa to drive integrated ICT research and development was put back on the table at the GovTech 2015 conference.
At a roundtable attended by students, academics and government ICT officers, hosted at GovTech, the Honourable Deputy Minister of Telecommunications & Postal Services, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize stated that government was interested in ensuring inclusive participation in policy formation and other issues of relevance to the sector and was considering the feasibility of creating an expert advisory group to inform the agenda on research and innovation.
Her belief was that data, research and scientific evidence were essential in policy formulation – hence the idea of a research council.
Read more: ZA: Mkhize investigates the creation of an ICT research council