GovTech 2015 aims to showcase ICT innovation in government and seek to inspire further innovation, says event programme manager Pieter Coertze.
The 10th instalment of GovTech will be staged by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) at Durban's Inkosi Luthuli International Convention Centre, from 25 to 28 October. Under the banner: ‘Partnering for Service Delivery: Connecting Communities for Development and Growth', GovTech's primary focus will be service delivery.
President Jacob Zuma envisages that through Operation Phakisa in education, learners will leave the schooling system as ethical, discerning, and responsible users of information, and be Information Communication Technology (ICT) capable to make meaningful contributions to society.
He said learners with special needs and their teachers will also be afforded access to specialised resources and to networks of specialist support.
Read more: ZA: Operation Phakisa ICT to Take Education to New Standard
Lower than expected economic growth and resultant fiscal constraints in South Africa have emphasised the need for government to markedly improve efficiency with which it conducts business and delivers services.
Smart use of technology can yield productivity and efficiency gains. Unfortunately government is not well poised to harness the potential that eGovernment technology can offer. At the heart of this problem is the existence of a policy framework that fails to recognise the multidimensional nature of the country’s three-sphere system of government.
Read more: ZA: Leveraging tech to improve service delivery to the poor
A war of words ensued yesterday when the ANC in the Gauteng legislature proposed to change the department of finance's function and name to "e-governance".
Finance MEC Barbara Creecy defended the change and said it was proposed by Gauteng Premier David Makhura.
She said: "At the end of the day it is the premier who decides.
The R1.2 billion Gauteng Broadband Network roll-out by Altech Alcom Matomo has reached a key milestone with fibre broadband connectivity to all eight vital core nodes, Altron TMT said.
Altron TMT is a subsidiary of JSE-listed Altron and was previously known as Altech before Altron paid R1.8 billion to buys out Altech minorities in a 2013 deal. This acquisition was followed by Altron streamlining its operation and bundling parts of Altech and Bytes Technology together.