According to the Democratic Alliance's shadow deputy minister of public enterprises, Erik Marais, the project will take place over the next five to seven years and will make the city "the most digitally connected in Africa". He says the improved communication links were important to service delivery objectives.
HumanIPO reported Cwele was named minister of the newly created Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services in May, moving from his long-standing role as minister for state security.
Read more: ZA: Cwele asks parliament for $15m for telecoms ministry
The new department has been allocated R1.59 billion, according to the minister.
Cwele said continued deployment of the country's broadband infrastructure will be prioritised to bridge the divide between rural and urban areas, and adding to around 170 000km of fixed-line fibre currently linking towns and cities.
“The key process that we think will have impact on our operations is the whole concept, without going into details, of eGovernance. By eGovernance, we are saying we must move beyond the connectivity of certain institutions. The focus in the past has been on the connectivity of some schools,” he said.
Read more: ZA: Future of S/Africa’s service delivery lies in e-governance – Minister
Gauteng finance MEC Barbara Creecy said yesterday the security of the R500 million Gauteng Broadband Network programme, which will deliver e-government services, was not yet a focus of the project.