On the eve of president Thabo Mbeki's Presidential International Advisory Council (PIAC) for ICT meeting, a local IT body has expressed concern over the lack of local representation on the council.
Moira de Roche, president of the Computer Society of SA (CSSA), says "while the representatives on the PIAC are from business, the views and interests of individuals and civil society in SA are not passed to the president".
The sixth annual PIAC gathering will take place this weekend at San Lameer, KwaZulu-Natal.
The focus of the meeting will be e-skills, as opposed to the cost of telecommunications, which previously dominated discussions. The shift in focus follows the Department of Communications' inability to quantify SA's ICT skills shortage and the communication ministry's assurances that this is to be addressed.
If the promises made in June are anything to go by, deputy minister of communications Roy Padayachie is to recommend the forming of an ICT skills council at this weekend's gathering.
Another perspective
However, De Roche points out that major IT industry bodies have not been consulted in setting up the PIAC structure.
She says, as a member of the IT Association (ITA) of SA, she has never been approached for participation. Neither has the CSSA been asked for input or "even [been] consulted".
"I think we could add value to the discussion as we could bring a different perspective - namely, the need for professionalism in ICT and how government can nurture this."
ITA members that happen to be on the PIAC "are there for the companies they work for, and/or their political profile, rather than as direct ITA representatives".
De Roche says she is personally involved in an international task force that looks into international certification and standard issues. It includes representative from the UK, Europe, Canada, the US and Australia, yet the body is not involved with the PIAC.
The International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) is also, she notes, not included in the PIAC.
Send a letter
When contacted for comment, presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said those who are unhappy with the PIAC's structure should address the president directly.
"They should write a letter to the president, explaining their concerns and what they think should be done about it and the president will respond."
Ratshitanga was unwilling to comment on the PIAC's present structure.
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