The goodwill generated between government and business during the recent convergence colloquium could evaporate if government fails to take into account public debate over its e-strategy.
This is the view of non-governmental organisation Bridges.org and other industry representatives who participated in a workshop in Cape Town yesterday to formulate some of the concerns and issues raised by representatives from business, local government and members of the public.
"People are committed to the e-strategy and are applying their minds and realise that it is a long-term process, but that they want it to work right from the start," said Bridges.org policy director, Ewan McPhie.
The concern about the lack of participation in the process to formulate government`s e-strategy prompted Bridges.org to hold two workshops, one in Cape Town yesterday and the second in Johannesburg on Thursday, 28 August. Bridges.org will compile a document on the outcome of the workshops and submit it to the government task team heading the e-strategy initiative.
A major concern about the e-strategy is that a document on its implementation must be presented to Parliament by next July. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, which came into effect in 2002, stated that government had 24 months to deliver an e-strategy.
Western Cape Provincial Government consultant Alan Levin said the transversal nature of ICT means that it impacts on every aspect of government and the e-strategy should not necessarily be the sole ownership of the Department of Communications.
"Time is marching on and there has been little in the way of public debate or some kind of hint of what government has in mind," he said.
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