Newly appointed communications minister Yunus Carrim has entered his second month as chief of the embattled Department of Communications (DOC), which has seen three ministers before him come and go, under the current administration.
Now, with an overflowing inbox and the eyes of the ICT industry and South African nation at large fixed on him, Carrim is tasked with initiating a tangible turnaround - in just nine months.
Topping the list of priorities Carrim says will guide his leadership over the coming months are the following:
1. Set a firm foundation for a further reduction in the costs of communication.
2. See realistic progress in broadband becoming more extensive, affordable and speedier. "We intend to finalise the government's National Broadband Policy and Implementation Programme within three months."
3. Reduce the digital divide between the haves and have-nots. "We are going to place much greater stress on delivering in rural and underserviced areas."
4. Stabilise state-owned companies and public entities in the ICT sector and make them more effective.
5. Begin with the roll-out of digital migration before the end of this year.
"Given the challenging terrain, limited time and lack of resources, we have to be realistic about what's possible. There are no guarantees that all this just said will get done. But what there is a guarantee of is that there will be significant progress in getting there and there will be a much more consensual yet decisive approach to doing so," says Carrim.
These five priorities were presented by Carrim in a speech he delivered at a recent SA National Editors Forum dinner. The full speech is available on the DOC Web site.
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