In introducing the new Director General of her department, Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Minister of Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri on Monday said black economic empowerment (BEE) is an imperative, and as such, South Africa needs a BEE charter that recognises such an imperative, stressing that the country is currently facing a paradigm shift.
Matsepe-Casaburri hailed the new director general for her understanding not just of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, but also her knowledge of South Africa’s foreign policy.
She noted that this is an area where most directors general fall short, which could have a detrimental affect on any country.
Shope-Mafole was named director general on September 15. She is currently the chairperson of President Thabo Mbeki’s ICT team and chairperson of the Council of the International Telecommunication Unions, among her other roles.
Shope-Mafole said she is inheriting a sector that has one of the best policies in the world.
She thanked her predecessor, Andile Ngcaba, for putting policies in place, and she challenged the business sector and other ICT stakeholders to engage the government on policies that will affect economic transformation.
”Other stakeholders must come on board as well and in this way they can help us create a more conducive environment, but at the same time this will also help them be competitive companies,” Shope-Mafole said.
She said the government is committed to helping South African companies conduct business on the continent, adding that this will be done through the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and other continental structures.
”We need to accelerate ICT both in private and public sectors as it cuts across other areas such as finance, health and education.”
The challenge, she said, is to develop the skills base and to ensure public servants first understand ICT tools and applications in order to ensure real acceleration of ICT. — I-Net Bridge