SA's military history will be promoted through ICT, as the Department of Communications (DOC) leads efforts to record, profile and digitise information as part of a new initiative.
The DOC has partnered with the Department of Military Veterans in a programme aimed at making information on SA's military heritage accessible through cellphones, tablets, PCs and television.
Communications minister Yunus Carrim launched the 'Digitisation of the Military Veterans Heritage' programme this weekend. He said government hopes to build ICT capacity and skills by providing media production training to some veterans.
According to Carrim, the department has compiled a biographical database of veterans as part of the research process for documentaries on the lives and history of groups and individuals involved in SA's apartheid struggle, including the defunct South African Defence Force and liberation movements.
While much of the content will be accessible for free online, some may be sold to other publishers and producers as part of the DOC's commercialisation efforts.
Carrim says the DOC will establish "an interactive Web site created on military veterans where some of the content generated is uploaded for the public to view. The Web site allows military veterans anywhere in the world to register onto the system."
'Increased ICT uptake'
While the DOC has so far trained 30 veterans in media skills as part of the programme, Carrim says the output will enhance government's programmes, including the broadband policy and the migration to digital television - which has been delayed by missed deadlines.
"The content generated will hopefully be absorbed into the digital terrestrial television environment, as it will have multiple channels requiring a lot of content," notes Carrim.
Once the content produced is made available on the Web site, says Carrim, it would "encourage the usage and uptake of ICTs as envisaged in SA Connect".
The policy document - released in December - outlines the DOC's aim to capitalise on "digital opportunities" through increased "promotion of local and relevant content and applications".
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