IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

An “ICT Blueprint”, to improve connectivity at Thusong Centres, has been developed by the Office of Government CIOs, while Sentech will have a collaborative role, says public service and administration minister Geraldine Fraser-Moloketi.

Thusong Centres, formerly multi-purpose community centres, are locations, mainly in rural areas, designed to allow people to have access to government information and services. Some 1 227 centres have been established nationally and Fraser-Moloketi says connectivity will be extended to 50 centres in the coming year.

Read more: South Africa: Govt refreshes Thusong Centres

Gauteng’s provincial government plans to build a province-wide telecommunications network at a cost of up to R35bn. Officials want the project, which requires the approval of the national cabinet, to be completed by 2010. But the undertaking, known as Gauteng Link, is already coming under fire from the private sector, with one telecom industry executive labelling it a “waste of money”.

Read more: South Africa: Gauteng’s digital dream

Gauteng's broadband project, variously known as Gauteng Link (G Link) or Blue Umbrella, is not a R35 billion attempt to reinvent the wheel, says premier Mbhazima Shilowa. Rather, it is a measured move to integrate existing private and public networks to the benefit of all.

Shilowa says the scheme, now to be implemented by the Gauteng Shared Services Centre (GSSC) as part of a wider e-government campaign, is about integration.

Read more: South Afrika: Shilowa explains ‘G Link'

BMI-TechKnowledge, a local ICT market analyst, has announced the publication of its latest report entitled: ’ICT in National Government’, which reveals that the total ICT spend of national government will increase from approximately R6bn in 2005/06 to R8bn in 2010/11 at a CAGR of 2,9%.

Lesley-Anne Dos Santos, IT research analyst, and co-author of the report, states that the government is one of the main users of technology in this country. There are major demands placed on government for service delivery, and therefore BMI-T expects that this trend will continue as the effect of ICT on overall service delivery is proven.

Read more: South Africa: Govt ICT spend to increase to R8bn by 2010/11