Tweet away says DoC
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, the deputy minister at the Department of Communications, has encouraged South Africans to use social media to help the overall development of the country.
Social network, Twitter, has been the platform of choice in recent days for a number of racist incidents, most notably involving models Jessica Leandra Dos Santos and Tshidi Thamana.
And then on Tuesday, a student of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Cput) was suspended for allegedly posting a racist message on Facebook.
In a budget vote speech delivered on Tuesday (8 May 2012), Ndabeni declared the 2012 budget speech theme as “Building ICT infrastructure for South Africa’s advancement in the knowledge and digital economy”. The deputy minister said that, in building information highways, government would be able to connect rural and urban, rich and poor, enhance the quality of education and health, and reduce poverty and inequality by increasing access to services.
Ndabeni added that such a provision would help to create jobs and ensure that people transact and communicate safely when they use cyber space.
The deputy minister also highlighted the role that social media could play in the country’s overall development. “We call upon our fellow colleagues and the citizens at large to exploit the opportunities presented by social networks which include, amongst others, a more efficient communication medium that reaches millions of people within a second. This network, when effectively utilized, assist in getting quick feedback from the affected and involved,” she said.
“It is high time that we use these networks for development. For example, teachers can ensure that their learners take interest in [homework] through posting the questions on their Facebook, Twitter or MXit pages, where [a] majority of learners are found,” Ndabeni said.
Education and ICT
The deputy minister said that during 2012/2013 financial year, the department has prioritised the provision of broadband connectivity to 1,650 schools in all provinces as the initial phase of the implementation of the National Connectivity Plan for schools.
“The broadband connectivity will enable schools to have access to the internet, emails and hosting services. This connectivity will also strengthen learning and teaching processes, enable sharing of educational resources in schools and improve administrative processes,” Ndabeni said.
100% broadband penetration
Minister Dina Pule, on Wednesday reiterated that given the strategic importance of this enabling infrastructure, the DOC, together with the ICT industry, have committed to delivering 100% broadband penetration and delivering a million jobs by 2020.
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