The e-Africa initiative was launched in Sandton on Tuesday ahead of an African workshop on building e-governance to be held in Johannesburg from October 28 to 31.
The workshop will be attended by government representatives from about 50 African countries. ”Electronic governance (e-Governance) has been identified as an important lever in the quest for good governance. It offers a unique opportunity for governments to reinvent themselves, get closer to citizens and forge closer alliances and partnerships with a diverse range of communities,” Public Affairs and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said on Tuesday.
The workshop is being organised under the banner of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), by the South African Ministry for Public Service and Administration and the African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD), in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
”Looking at the current realities that confront us, e-governance lies at the heart of two global shifts: the information revolution and the governance revolution. Both shifts are changing the way society operates and is governed. They bring the opportunity for not just incremental but radical gains in efficiency and effectiveness,” said Fraser-Moleketi.
The e-Africa workshop will address both the strategic and tactical challenges of implementing e-governance in Africa, said Sunil Geness, Department of Public Service and Administration, senior manager Special Projects. The government plans to develop and implement an online, single gateway facilitating access to all information and services it provides at any time of day or night in any place.
”By creating a mechanism through which citizens and business can experience seamless ‘joined-up’ government, the initiative will have a profound effect on the current structures and processes of government, pushing existing institutions towards greater economies of scale, efficiency and service delivery improvement,” he said.
The internal communication and information environment within government will also be improved. After the e-Africa 2002 workshop a high-level steering committee will be set up to ensure efficient co-ordination of planned activities and the e-governance initiative will also be infused into the macroplan of Nepad and the African Union.
”This is only the second time this year that Africa as a continent is coming together in terms of addressing issues affecting the continent as a whole. This will be the one of the first deliverables of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development,” according to Geness.
Government is considering setting up access points for citizens in the form of walk-in kiosks or self-help kiosks. There are already 2 500 points of service in place through post offices, retail post points and postal agents.
A range of delivery channels such as call centres, the internet, interactive television, wireless access and kiosks would have to be considered and the most effective models used to bring e-governance to Africa, said Fraser-Moleketi. – Sapa