President Mbeki was briefing reporters after the eighth Presidential International Advisory Council on Information Society and Development (PIAC on ISAD), which advises him and his Cabinet in the areas of ICT.
South Africa, he said, had to become an advanced information-based society in which ICT tools are the drivers of economic and societal development.
"What needed to be done now, as government, service providers and operators we need to look into innovative approaches to expand connectivity in rural areas," he told the media at Hoedspruit, Limpopo.
"The establishment of the council is borne from the fact that there is lack of a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach for addressing the ICT skills shortage at all levels in the country," Mr Mbeki told the briefing, when asked about the role and achievement of PIAC.
Explaining some of the achievements of the PIAC, he said a creation of an e-skills council has already led to the creation of an e-skills academy that focuses on training ICT graduates for the industry.
One of the resolutions of the meeting, he said, was that a group of experts would be identified to engage role players in the ICT sector.
Unpacking some of the resolutions of the meeting, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said that the advisors will work with Trade and Invest South Africa (TISA) to ensure that the country continues to improve investment in ICTs.
Furthermore the advisors indicated their readiness to assist government in maximising the economic benefits of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ms Moleketi said.
For example next month South Africa will begin the migration from analog to digital broadcasting, a process expected to be completed in 2011.
Established by the President in his State of the Nation Address in 2001, the council consists of 23 members comprising, Presidents of international companies, Chief Executive Office and NGOs.
The council is made up of a group of international CEOs, presidents and heads of major international corporations, and experts who are active in the ICT sector; these include representatives from SAP, Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle and HP.
The next meeting, which will be last under President Mbeki's term, will be held in March 2009.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Bathandwa Mbola
Quelle/Source: BuaNews, 07.09.2008
