national ic infrastructure strategy for namibia 1998

8/8/2019 National IC Infrastructure Strategy for Namibia 1998

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Economic Commission for Africa

Commission conomique pour l'Afrique

Report on a Workshop on National Information And Communication

Infrastructure (NICI) Strategy for Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia, 11-13 May 1998

Addis Ababa, February 1998

ECA - CEA


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Introduction

1. Following the adoption of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) frameworkby the 22

ndmeeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers in May 1996 and the

Regional Internet Policy Workshop for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islandsheld in Zimbabwe in February 1998, the Government of the Republic of Namibia

decided to organize a national workshop for the development of a NationalInformation and Communication Strategy.

2. The main objective of the workshop was according to the Minister of Communicationand Broadcasting of Namibiathe implementation of the African Information Society

Initiative which is meant to take place at individual country level.

3. The specific objective of the workshop was to:- generate information required by the Namibian government to decide on a

course of action in order to develop the country's national information andcommunication infrastructure; and

- promote the use of information for socio-economic development.ECA Representation

4. The ECA Executive Secretary was represented at the workshop by the Regional

Advisor in Information and Communication Technology Policy who chaired the Panel on

Infrastructure, Regulatory and Policy Issues and participated in the Panel discussion onDeveloping a NICI for Namibia: the Way Forward. The Regional Advisor was also a

member of the Recommendations Drafting Committee.

Workshop topics

5. AISIs four following themes were used for consideration, discussion and preparation

of a national strategy for Namibia:

- Institutional Framework- Human Resources Development- Infrastructure- Infostructure

6. A copy of the AISI leaflet summarizing graphically the above four themes and copies

of the AISI brochure were made available to participants.

Panels and Workshops

7. The panels and workhsops were organized according to the following topics:

- Global trends in NICI development- Legal, regulatory and policy issues-

Human resource capacity building


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- The impact of social, economic, political, technological and environmentalfactors on the development of Namibia in the next quarter of a century

- The implications for a NICI strategy and policy: the way forward- The Year 2000

The programme of the workshop is in annex.

Recommendations to Government

8. After three days of exchange of ideas, the following recommendations were adopted

by the Workshop:

A. We, the delegates, comprising representatives from

- the Namibian public and private sectors, the media, academia and civil society,

- as well as international experts from Africa and abroad,- and intergovernmental and international organisations active in the application of

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for sustainable development in

Africa,

considering

- the increasing impact of technological convergence and globalisation on the social,

economic and spiritual well-being of citizens, and the prosperity of organisations, nations and

regions,

- the need and priority of industrialised and developing countries alike to craft and

implement strategies to build globally competitive knowledge-based societies,

- the historic opportunity which now exist for developing countries to benefit from new

and increasingly affordable ICTs to leapfrog in extending access to information andcommunications facilities for their populations,

- the urgency in taking decisive steps to bridge the increasing social and economic gaps

between information rich and information poor countries and sectors of societies,

noting

- the progressive strides that have been made by the Government of the Republic ofNamibia during the past decade to:

- expand and modernise the national communications infrastructure,- review and adapt the legislative, regulatory and policy framework

progressively in order to expand access and open up the market for information

and communication services,- plan timeously for the implementation of ICT in government to enhance the

future effectiveness of public administration and government service delivery

throughout the country,


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noting further

- the large disparities in access to opportunities and resources which still exist between

different parts of the population of Namibia,

- the long time required for the diffusion of technology based innovation,

- the intention of Government to embark on a strategic process to build an equitable,sustainable and globally competitive knowledge-based society in Namibia, and

- the relevance of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) to Namibia and theneed to implement it at the national level,

commend

the Government for its foresight and leadership in calling together this workshop to

advise on the process and substance of a NICI strategy for Namibia,

record

the desire of the delegates from all sectors to support this worthy initiative,

recommend as follows:

B. Process

B.1. The purpose of these recommendations are not to provide a blue print for a Namibian

NICI strategy but to enable the Namibian government to initiate a process to exploit

the benefits of the information society.

B.2. The purpose of the process should be to build an equitable, sustainable and

internationally competitive information society in Namibia in the foreseeable future.

B.3. The process should be participative and transparent, involving all stakeholders under

the leadership of Government and should allow for experimentation and learning to

take place. A green paper/white paper process could be considered.

B.4. In view of the ongoing convergence of the telecommunications, media and IT sectors,the process should be inclusive of these sectors. This may require a restructuring of

current sectoral, legal, regulatory and policy frameworks and institutions to allowcoherent and pro-active strategic management of this fast evolving field.

B.5. The NICI strategy process should be aligned with the national development planning

process to ensure that it will support national priorities.

B.6. Appropriate policy and strategy formulation, implementation and review mechanisms

should be established and adequately resourced. This may include a Cabinet

committee, and/or advisory board consisting of leaders from different sectors of

society, assisted by an interdepartmental task force and project teams.


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B.7. The process would require continuous awareness raising at all levels of society.

B.8. The NICI strategy and its component programmes and projects should be

communicated on an ongoing basis to the international community in order to forge

mutually beneficial partnerships

C. The institutional, policy, legislative and regulatory framework

C.1. The institutional framework refers to the roles of different stakeholder groups such as

government, the private sector, non-governmental and community-basedorganisations, academia, civil society and the international community and the

institutions through which they interact and collaborate.

C.2. The policy, legislative and regulatory framework refers to the web of applicable

policies, laws, regulations and executing institutions and mechanisms that collectively

provide the framework for action by different participants in this field.

C.3. The role of government is to provide leadership in establishing and facilitating anenabling and incentifying framework for the actions of other participants. This

framework should provide for a strong and independent regulator.

C.4. Policy should be directed at the effective utilisation of NICI to address inter alia the

following priorities:

- the development of the local market for ICT services and products;

- the development and protection of the local ICT industry;

- economic growth through value addition;

- the eradication over time of existing disparities in access to information and

opportunities between different sectors of society, notably rural communities;

- human resource capacity building.

C.5. Policy should reflect the impact of technology and globalisation on

- the protection of intellectual property rights and the licencing of information

products and services;

- the right of free access to information;

- the affordability and availability of information generated by the public sector;

- issues connected with the transborder flow of information.

C.6. The institutional, policy, legislative and regulatory framework, and the associatedinstitutions and mechanisms should be reviewed and adopted on an ongoing basis in

view of technological convergence and other factors. This is to ensure effectivedecision making and action in the crucial first decade of the 21st century.

D. Technological infrastructure

D.1. Namibia has a relatively well developed telecommunications infrastructure. Plans are

in place for the expansion of infrastructure.

However, even under accelerated development of the infrastructure, universal servicewill not be attainable in the short run. Innovative strategies to extend access will have


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to be introduced. Namibia should consider a multi-level concept of universal access,

defining access needs at the individual, community and institutional (schools,

hospitals etc.) level.

D.2. Government should foster the spread and use of information infrastructure through the

introduction of appropriate incentives eg. tax-reforms, soft loans, etc.

D.3. One way of extending services to rural communities which is increasingly usedworldwide is the introduction of telecentres or multi-purpose community information

centres providing access to telephone, fax, internet and information services. Thesetelecentres should be adopted to the local context and could be developed and linked

to existing infrastructures such as schools, post-offices and community centres.

D.4 To foster the development of the sector, new forms of public/private partnerships and

relationships have to be established. Telecommunications reforms establishing

commercialisation (sometimes through some form of privatisation) under independent

regulation is only one way of organising the sector. Unfettered. competition in thesmall market of Namibia may not be sustainable in the long run. Regulation should bearmed at ensuring sustainable performance of the sector.

D.5. Lack of capacity in managerial and technological areas, could apart from investment

in HRD, be addressed by fostering strategic partnerships with regional and

international institutions in the private as well as public sector. In the long run transfer

of knowledge and capacity has to be assured.

D.6. In the area of infrastructural development Namibia may be confronted with a lack of

economies of scale. Regional co-operation in testing, monitoring, standardisation,

procurement, adaptation and even in development of technology could strenghten

technological capacity in the Southern African region and be of considerable profit for

Namibia.

E. Information resources (content and applications)

E.1. In this area the major issue is, on the one hand to ensure affordable and easy access to

global information and on the other hand to assure the generation, utilisation and

commercialisation, where applicable, of local information and knowledge resources.

E.2. Government at all levels, as probably the largest generator and processor of localinformation, should take the necessary steps to ensure the accessibility and

dissemination of government information which affect the daily lives of citizens.Internet and Worldwide Web technologies as well as depositories of government

documents in geographically distributed centres, could be considered.

E.3. Sectoral applications such as tele-education, electronic government service delivery,

electronic commerce in support of SMMES and industry, tele-health, etc should beprioritised according to national objectives and introduced as pilot projects. Such

projects should be monitored, assessed and reviewed on the basis of experience to

ensure sustainability and cost effective replicability.


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F. Human resource capacity building

F.1. Whereas technological infrastructure has traditionally been regarded as the most

critical component of the NICI, leaders and experts worldwide increasingly recognise

human resource capacity development as potentially the most crucial constraint in the

effective deployment of NICI to build sustainable information societies.

F.2 Therefore Namibian government should draw up a national education and trainingprogramme in the iCT area on two levels: firstly on the level of Research & Development, to

be able to build up knowledge on how to create and implement effective local infrastructuresand technologies and relevant local content; secondly on the level of education and training to

empower Namibian citizens to make effective use of these ICTs.

Regarding the first level, government should consider building up "a network of

excellence", to mobilise national, regional and international research, development and

educational resources cost effectively in support of capacity development in Namibia. These

networks of excellence should use telematics to train ICT-trainers and execute collaborativeR+D programmes as well as monitoring, assess and evaluate projects.

- At the second level capacity development should be focused, the training andinformation needs of different influencial groups eg. women, the youth, community leaders

especially rural communities, professional and technicals workers in the ICT industry,

professional workers in information intensive sectors, and policy makers.

F.3 Plans should be put in place to counter act the brain drain in the ICT sector which

effect most developing countries and to expand the skills pool by mobilising the support of

international organisations and experts.

G. Specific recommendations

G.1. Government should take the lead in devising and implementing a strategy to address

the year 2000 issue in a coherent way in conjunction with all stakeholders.

G.2. In order to provide the supporting infrastructure for human resource capacity building

(see par. 6) it should be considered to establish an Information and Communication

Infrastructure Resource Network in partnership with interested international

organisations. This resource network, based in Namibia at an appropriate institution

should use appropriate technologies to establish close links with relevant regional andinternational resources.

The resource network would supply research, development, training, and pilot

implementation capacity in support of the NICI. The model used by Egypt couldprovide guidelines for a suitable approach.

Conclusion

9. The Namibia national workshop could be considered as the first of its kind to be

organized in an African country for the implementation of AISI at the country level. It was

useful to Namibia and facilitated the gathering of Namibian professionals and decisionmakers to exchange experience with foreign and international experts for the development of


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a National Information and Communication Strategy. The process of developing the strategy

has started and we hope that decision makers and professionals will take advantage of the

momentum created by the workshop to establish the mechanism necessary for the

establishment of an Information Society in Namibia.


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Annex

List of participants

Name & Address Tel / Fax / e-mail

Mr Stephen AdeiResident RepresentativeUnited Nations Development ProgrammePrivate Bag 13329WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel 264-61-22 9083 / 200 1210Fax 264-61-22 9084e-mail: [email protected]

Professor Robert AgungaAssociate Professor, Department of Human & CommunityResource DevelopmentThe Ohio State University

203 Agricultural Administration Building2120 Fyffe RoadColumbus, OH 43210UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Tel 1-614-292 4624Fax 1-614-292 7007e-mail [email protected]

Hon. Mr Ben AmathilaMinister of Information and BroadcastingGovernment Building, 2nd FlootPrivate Bag 13344WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel 264-61-222310 or 2839111Fax 264-61-222343e-mail: [email protected]://wwn.republicofnamibia.com/express.htm

Mr Jimmy AmupalaNBCPO Box 321Windhoek

Tel 2913137Fax 215276e-mail: nbcho.iwwn.com.na

Mr Mirjam AmuthenuTrade Promotion OfficerMinistry of Trade and IndustryPrivate Bag 13340WindhoekBrendan Simbwaya Square

Tel 2837342Fax 256865e-mail

Mr Harry AucampGM, Multichoice NamibiaKenya HouseRobert Mugabe AvenuePO Box 2662WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel 264-61-220 336 or 2705111Fax 264-61-270 5247 or 227605e-mail [email protected]

Hon. Helmut AngulaMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development

c/o Robert Mugabe and Peter Muller StreetPrivate Bag 13184

Tel 2029111Fax 229961 or 221733e-mail


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Windhoek

Mr Barnie BarnesChairperson: Namibia Communications CommissionC/o NCC Secretariat

First Floor, Computerland BuildingBrandberg StreetWindhoek

Tel 264-61-222666Fax 264-61-222790e-mail:

Drs Robert BerloznikProject Manager Technology Assessment, FlemishInstitute for Technological Research (VITO)Boeretang 200MolBELGIUM

Tel 32 14 33 59 34Fax 32 14 32 11 85e-mail [email protected]

Prof Hannes BritzDepartment of Information ScienceUniversity of PretoriaPretoria0002 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel 27 12 420 2962Fax 27 12 362 5181Email: [email protected]

Ms Emily BrownManager: Institutional DevelopmentPolytechnic of NamibiaStorchstrassePrivate Bag 13388Windhoek

Tel. 264-61-2079111Fax. 264-61-2072302e-mail:

Mr John BarkerQ-Data

Maerua Park, Centaurus RoadPO Box 9980WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-229211

Fax 264-61-235697e-mail:

Mr Frans BurdenInformation Systems ManagerNamPostPO Box 287WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2013114Fax. 264-61-249832e-mail: [email protected]

Prof Dr Jean-Claude Burgelman

Studies on Media, Information and TelecommunicationDepartment of CommunicationsVrije Universiteit BrusselPleinlaan 21050 BrusselsBELGIUM

Tel 32 2 629 24 14

Fax 32 2 629 28 61e-mail [email protected]

Dr Derrick CogburnDirector, CISDAAfrica Regional Director and Research Fellow, GIICAdvisor, W K Kellogg Foundationc/o CSIR

PO Box 395Pretoria

Tel 27 12 841 2491Fax 27 12 841 3365e-mail [email protected]


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0001 SOUTH AFRICA

Mr Madryn CosburnDirector, PC CentreStorch Haus, Storchstrasse 5PO Box 21593

WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-225665Fax. 220410e-mail: [email protected]

Ms Marietha CronjNamibian Broadcasting CorporationComputer Services ManagerPO Box 321WindhoekNAMIBIA


Mr Pierre DandjinouProgramme Officer for Africa, SDNP/ UNDPc/o UNDP Cotonou

BENIN

Tel 299 31 30 46/ 79Fax 299 31 57 86e-mail [email protected]

Mr Leit DanielssonSenior ConsultantDeputy Managing DirectorAF Swedish Management GroupPO Box 813310420, Stockholm, SwedenFeminggatan 7, Stockholm

Tel +4686571000Fax +4686571454

Mr Ruben DartIBM South Africa

To RivoniaRoadJHB

Tel. 270123071000e-mail: [email protected].

Mr Hezekiel DlaminiComputer Applications Officer, ROSTAUNESCOPO Box 30592NairobiKENYA

Tel 254 2 622717Fax 254 2 215991e-mail [email protected]

Ambassador Diana Lady Dougan

Chair, International Communications Studies ProgramCSIS1800 K Street NWSuite 400Washington DC 20006UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Tel 1 202 775 3188

Fax 1 202 775 0898e-mail

Ms Effat El ShookyExecutive DirectorRITSEC11A Hassan Sabry StreetZamalek

CairoEGYPT

TelFax 202 341 2139e-mail [email protected]


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Mr Loefie EngelbrechtManager, New Business Development M-WebPrivate Bag X14Tyger Valley7536 SOUTH AFRICA


Mr Laurent EverhardManager, Computer StudiesPolytechnic of NamibiaStorchstrassePrivate Bag 13388WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2072256 or 2072275Fax. 264-61-2072261e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Barry FaganManagerQ-DataMaerua Park

Centaurus RoadPO Box 9980WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-229211Fax 264-61-235697e-mail:

Mr Makane FayeRegional Advisor Information and CommunicationTechnology, UNECAPO Box 3001Addis AbabaETHIOPIA

Tel 251 1 511167Fax 251 1 510512 / 514416e-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

Dr Ben FoucheDirector, Ben Fouche & AssociatesPO Box 11265MaroelanaPretoria0161 SOUTH AFRICA


Mr Nahum GorelickManaging DirectorInternet World Wide Namibia (IWWN)Second Floor, Hidas CentreNelson Mandela AvenuePO Box 11371

WindhoekNAMIBIA


Mr Nicolas GorjestaniLead Knowledge Management SpecialistKnowledge Center, Africa RegionThe World Bank1818 H Street NWWashington, Dc 20433UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


Chief Inspector Hophni HamufunguPolice Spokesperson

Namibian PolicePolice Headquarters, Lazaret Street

Tel. 264-61-230410Fax. 264-61-220621

e-mail:


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Private Bag 12024WindhoekNAMIBIAMs Nangula HamutenyaDirector: Public Service Information TechnologyManagementOffice of the Prime MinisterBrendan Simbwaye Square B, Goethe StreetPrivate Bag 13338WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-264044Fax. 264-236426e-mail:

Mr William HeuvaSenior LecturerPolytechnic of Namibia13 StorchstrassePrivate Bag 13388Windhoek

NAMIBIA

Tel. 264-207911Fax. 264-61-2072212e-mail:

Mr Tobias HippDirectorNamInfo38 BarbettStreetHochland ParkPO Box 659WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-254231 or 222171Fax. 264-61-228739e-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

Mr Joseph iitaPermanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Resettlement

and RehabilitationBrendan Simbwaye Square A,Private Bag 13343WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2852111Fax. 264-61-228240

e-mail:

Mr Andrew E IntambaDirector: Office of the PresidentPrivate Bag 13339WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-225942 or 217491Fax. 264-61-264-61-228242e-mail: [email protected]

MsMagda Ismail

Assistant Manager of Info. Highway UnitIDSC1 Maglo Shaab Str.Kase El EiniGarden CityCairo, Egypt

Tel 202-3551551

Fax 202-3551716e-mail [email protected]

Ms Geniene JenningsSmall & Medium Business ExecutiveIBM South AfricaTo RivoniaRoadJohannesburg, SA

Tel. 0027-1-27113029212


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Mr Amr KamelProject/Account ManagerRITSEC11A Hassan Sabry StreetZamalekCairoEGYPT

Tel 202-3391300Fax 202-3412139e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Justus KapitangoNetwork AdministratorNamPost,Independence AvenuePO Box 78WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2013064Fax. 264-61-249832e-mail:[email protected]

Mr Vitura Kavari[British Council sponsored delegate]Senior ControllerNamibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)PO Box 321WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel 264 61 2913111Fax 264 61 215767e-mail

Prof. Geoffrey KiangiDepartment of ComputingUniversity of NamibiaPrivate Bag 13301Windhoek


Mr Nolo Letele

GM - Sub-Sahara AfricaMultichoice Africa (Pty) LtdPO Box 3000Cramerview2060 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel 27 11 289 4011

Fax 27 11 789 7842e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Frank LhnertDirectorate Information ServicesMinistry of Trade and IndustryBrendan Simbwaye SquarePrivate Bag 13340WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2937111Fax. 264-61-220278 or 254600

Ms Andrea LohnertSenior ResearcherBank of NamibiaChateau Str. 36PO Box 97023

Tel. 224067 (w)e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Johan LoubserSenior Librarian, Ministry of Basic Education and CultreNational LibraryPeter Muller StreetPrivate Bag 13349WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2934490Fax. 264-61-229808e-mails: postmstr@natlib,nec.gov.na

Mr David LushFreelance Journalist and Chairperson of the Journalist

Tel. 236970Fax. 233980


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Association of NamibiaPO BoxWindhoekNAMIBIA

e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Mohamed Madhi

CEO, National Year 2000 Decision Support CentrePrivate Bag X860Pretoria0001 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel 27 12 427 8228

Fax 27 12 427 8250e-mail [email protected]

Prof Charles MalanCoordinator, SADECCONCentre for Communication ResearchHSRCPrivate Bag X41Pretoria0001 SOUTH AFRICA


Mr Ashiek ManieHead, Information Highway and Governance Strategy,Telkom SA LtdPrivate Bag X74Pretoria0001 SOUTH AFRICA


Eng Venncio MassingueVice-Rector, Administration and ResourcesUniversidade Eduardo MondlaneC P 257

MaputoMOZAMBIQUE

Tel 258 1 307271Fax 258 1 307 272e-mail [email protected] [email protected]

Mr Hilfa Mbako[British Council sponsored delegate]Corporate Affairs ManagerNamdebPO Box 1906WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel 264-61-235061Fax 264-61-226017e-mail: [email protected]

Prof. Kingo J. MchombuDepartment of Information and Communications Studies

University of NamibiaMandume Ndemufayo RoadPrivate Bag 13301WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2066410Fax. 264-61-20638060


Dr Henning MelberDirector: Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit59 Bahnho Street, WindhoekPO Box 40219WindhoekNAMIBIA


Prof William MelodyChair: Economics of Infrastructures Tel 31 15 278 7475/ 2695Fax 31 15 278 7925


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Faculty of Technology, Policy and ManagementDelft University of TechnologyPO Box 50152600 GA DelftTHE NETHERLANDS

e-mail [email protected]@sepa.tudelft.nl

Mr Dewald MeyerManager Information SystemsOhlthaver & List and Namibia BreweriesCarl List HausPeter Muller StreetPO Box 16WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-232975Tel. 264-61-248016

Mr Peter MietznerManaging Director, MieGer CommunicationsMember Windhoek Show SocietyShow Grounds, Jan Jonker Street

PO Box 1336WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-224748Fax. [email protected]

Dr Stephen MncubeManager, Development Information Business UnitDevelopment Bank of Southern AfricaPO Box 1234Halfway HouseMidrand1685 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel 27 11 313 3303 (Lounette)Fax 27 11 318 1949e-mail [email protected]

Ms Renate MorgensternSenior Librarian, Ministry of Basic Education and CultureNational Archives of NamibiaPrivate Bag 13186WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-239042Fax. 264-61-224277 or 228641e-mail: [email protected]

Ms Nehoya MudhikaMinistry of Trade & Industry RepresentativeBrendan Simbwaye SquarePrivate Bag 13289


Prof Stanford MukasaChairman, Department of JournalismIndiana University of Pennsylvania434 Davis HallIndiana PA 15705-1087UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


Mr Peter MllerChairperson, Namibia Information Technology AssociationPO Box 11513WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 233679Fax.e-mail: [email protected]

Dr Ben Mulongeni Tel. 264-61-291311


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Director General, Namibian Broadcasting CorporationPO Box 321WindhoekNAMIBIA

Fax. 264-61-2913325e-mail [email protected]

Mr Muriuki Mureithi

Director, Summit StrategiesPO Box 62454NairobiKENYA

Tel 264-61-2842111

Fax 264-61-245160e-mail [email protected]

Mr Sackey NamungongaChief Public and Media Liaison OfficerSWABou BuildingPost Street MallPrivate Bag 13346WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2842111Fax. 264-61-229936e-mail:

Mr Gotlieb NarusebDeputy Director Information ServicesMinistry of Trade and IndustryBrendan Simbwaye Square B, Goethe StreetPrivate Bag 13340WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2937111Fax. 264-61-220278 or 254600e-mail:

Mr Gert NulensResearcher, Studies on Media, Information andTelecommunicationFree University BrusselsPleinlaan 21050 BrusselBELGIUM


Ms Nku Nyembezi-HeitaManagerIBM NamibiaPO Box 97017WindhoekNAMIBIA


Mr Holger OberprielerTelecom Namibia

Manager: Strategic PlanningLuderitz StreetPO Box 297WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2012591Fax. 264-61-235777


Mr Olu OgundipeInformation Science ConsultantPO Box 4553Windhoek11 Hawthm flats

Bach StreetDr Joseph Okpaku Tel 1 914 636 6498


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President, Telecom Africa222 Forest AvenueNew RochelleNY 10804UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Fax 1 914 632 2320e-mail [email protected]

Ms H Kay RaserokaUniversity of Botswana LibraryUniversity LibrarianPB 00390,Mobuu Drive GaboroneBOTSWANA

Tel 267 355 2620 / 355 2295Fax 267 357291e-mail [email protected]

Mr Herbert RkeMinistry of Fisheries and Marine ResourcesBrendan Simbwaye Square CPrivate Bag 13355Windhoek

NAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2053911Fax. 264-61-224566e-mail:

Mr Theo SchoemanDirector: Computer DivisionSchoemans Office EquipmentSam Nujoma DrivePO Box 308Windhoek


Hon. Mr Ignatius ShixwameniDeputy Minister of Information and BroadcastingSecond Floor, Government BuildingPrivate Bag 13344Windhoek

NAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-222302Fax. 264-61-222343e-mail:

Mr WillemShipinganaNational Planning CommissionPrivate Bag 13356WindhoekSokolic Building

Tel. 232360Fax 239376e-mail

Ms Aune ShipangaController TelevisionNBC

PO Box 22212Windhoek108 Bach StreetWHK West

Tel 2913111Fax 231881/0e-mail

Mr Dieter SteinbachManager Information ServicesWindhoekMunicipalityIndependence AvenuePO Box 59

WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2902911Fax. 264-61-2902006e-mail:


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Ms Helena TheronSABINET OnlinePortfolio Manager: Government Bussiness UnitPO Box 97851006 Lenchen Ave North

Outspan House1st floorCenturion0046 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel 663 4954Fax 663 3543e-mail [email protected]

Mr Amon UisebMinistry of Higher EducationGovernment Office Park1st FloorRoom 141


Ms Selma-Penna UtonihHead of Science and Technology DivisionMinistry of HEVTSTPrivate Bag 13391WindhoekSekretar Str. 14Hochland Park

Tel 2706111Fax 2706143e-mail

Mr Leo van AudenhoveStudies on Media, Information and TelecommunicationFree University Brussels

Pleinlaan 21050 BrusselBELGIUM

Tel 32 2 629 24 15Fax 32 2 629 28 61e-mail [email protected]

Mr Marius van BredaTelecom NamibiaManager: Information ServicesLderitz StreetWindhoekPO Box297WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2012565Fax. 264-61239412e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Alfred van KentDirector: Research, Technology and ScienceMinistry of Higher Education, Vocational Training andScience and TechnologyOffice ParPrivate Bag 13391WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-2706141/2Fax. 264-61-2706143e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Martin VenterController Technical ServicesNamibian Broadcasting CorporationNorhtern Industrial Area

PO Box 321Windhoek



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NAMIBIA

Mr Jim VolkwynCEO - Sub-Sahara AfricaMultichoice Africa (Pty) LtdPO Box 1502

Randburg2125 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel (011) 289 3235Fax (011) 789 1709e-mail [email protected]

Mr Nguno WakolelePermanent SecretaryMinistry of Information and BroadcastingSecond Floor, Government BuildingPrivate Bag 13344WindhoekNAMIBIA

Tel. 264-61-22312Fax. 264-61-222343e-mail:

Ms Kate WildActing Director, Acacia Programme

IDRC, CanadaIDRC Regional Office for Southern AfricaPO Box 477Wits2050 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel +27 11 403 3952Fax (011) 403 1417

e-mail [email protected]

Mr Keith YeomansStrategist, UK Information Communications andTechnologyc/o The British Council JohannesburgPO Box 30637Braamfontein

2017 SOUTH AFRICA

Tel +27 11 403 3316Fax +27 11 403 [email protected]

Mr Ben van der MerweActing Managing DirectorTelecom NamibiaPO Box 297WindhoekLderitz Street

Tel 264-61-2012566Faxe-mail

Mr Ruke TjingaeteNBC

PO Box 231Windhoek

Tel 264-61-2913111Fax 264-61-2913325


Ms Wilma DeetlefsDeputy DirectorMIB: Media LiaisonPrivate Bag

*Tel 264-61-2230Fax 264-61-2301e-mail: nammine

Mr Ben van der MerweActing Managing DirectorTelecom Namibia

*Tel 264-61-2012Fax

e-mail


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PO Box 297WindhoekLderitz Street


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AnnexOPENING STATEMENT BY

HON. BEN AMATHILA,

MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING,

AT THE WORKSHOP ON A NATIONAL INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NAMIBIA,CONFERENCE CENTRE, SAFARI HOTEL,

MONDAY, 11 MAY 1998

Honourable Ministers,

Honourable Members of the National Assembly and the National Council,

Your Excellencies,

Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all to this workshop and in particular I extend a warm

welcome to our experts from the region and beyond who have travelled long distances and sacrificed

their valuable time to be with us today. Your participation will certainly bring broader perspectivesand greater awareness to these issues that we will be discussing over the next three days. To theNamibian participants, this is your workshop. Take the maximum benefit out of it. Your participation

is welcomed and I am sure that, while considering options and debating issues, national interest will be

foremost in your minds. This workshop gives us the opportunity to share the experience of other, to

note the pitfalls, and to devise ways and means of finding the best options for Namibia without having

to re-invent the wheel.

Of course, if Namibia was developed, we could have organised this workshop through Internet or

video conferencing and some of you would not have had to travel long distances to attend. We aretoday taking the first step towards positioning Namibia strategically to enable us to confer through

cyberspace in the not too distant future.

We have a full programme, but I hope those of you who have traveled to be with us here in Windhoek,will find some time to visit some of our unique tourist spots in and around Windhoek and take with

you pleasant memories of your Namibian experience back home.

Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, before getting down to business, to also thank all the sponsors who,

through their generous contributions, enabled the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to

organise and host this very important workshop. I am convinced that by the end of this workshop we

shall see results and that the road ahead would be charted for progressive follow-up action to enable

Namibia to enter the new millenium with the necessary confidence in pursuance of the challenges and

opportunities of the Year 2000 and beyond.

In today's world, information and communication have become increasingly important. Knowledge is

or should no longer be the domain of the few. Success in promoting democracy, human resourcedevelopment, socio-economic development, international cooperation, trade and commerce, requireaccess to information and our ability to use it effectively. The ongoing information and

communication revolution is leading to accelerated globalisation in economic and social activities.

This presents tremendous challenges and opportunities for industrialised and developing countries

alike.

Political and business leaders have come to realise that the ability to utilise knowledge effectively will

eventually determine the ability of individuals, companies, regions and nations to succeed in this

world of global competition. As a result countries and regions around the world are formulating and

implementing strategies to develop the technical and human resource capacities necessary for the

effective participation in the global information society.


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In this newly emerging technological environment, the need for empowering Africa has never been

greater and the challenges never more daunting. We need therefore, to respond to the new global and

regional socio-economic realities.

In Africa, and in most of the third world countries, information generation and transmission have been

at a rather low level for a number of reasons, for instance lack of a necessary communication

infrastructure and high illiteracy levels among the majority of the populations which is the legacy of

their colonial history.

As we are entering a new millenium old norms will necessarily no longer apply. It is already an

established fact that a nation's economic prosperity is linked to knowledge, information and access to

information. The information super-highways are already established in many parts of the world. If

Namibia, and Africa as a whole, does not take steps to embrace the new technological developmentspromptly, the technology and information gap, and the gap in access to information will increase

disparities between developing and industrialised nations. We cannot afford this.

The Economic Commission for Africa took the initiative by adopting the resolution entitled "Building

Africa's Information Highway" in May 1995 to help Africa prepare to meet the new technologicalchallenges. As a result of this initiative, it appointed a high-level working group whose research

culminated in the adoption of the Implementation of the African Information Society Initiative at the22

ndmeeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers in May 1996.

The implementation of the African Information Society Initiative is meant to take place at individual

country level and our gathering here today is in pursuit of the above ECA resolution. It is hoped that

at the end of this workshop we will compile a report containing recommendations on the process

required to establish a national strategic framework and an implementation plan for the development

of a National Information and Communication Infrastructure in Namibia.

The success of this endeavour depends on the cooperation and participation of all stakeholders e.g.

government, the business community, academicians, and those operating in the fields of informationand communication, in fact, the Namibian society as a whole. It is, therefore, heartening that, apart

from our regional and international participants, this workshop has generated interest from different

groups within Namibia.

The objective of this workshop is to generate information required by the Namibian government

to decide on a course of action in order to develop the country's national information and

communication infrastructure, to further and to promote its utilisation for socio-economic

development. Several topics such as the current information and communication infrastructure

in Namibia, global trends in NICI development, legal, regulatory and policy issues, human

resource capacity building, the impact of social, economic, political, technological andenvironmental factors on the development of Namibia in the next quarter of a century, the

implications for a NICI strategy and policy, the way forward, and the Year 2000 issues will bediscussed and debated over the next three days.

These discussions will enable us:

- to create a common understanding of the current situation regarding the NICI ofNamibia;

- to learn from the experiences of other countries in so far as it is applicable to thesituation in Namibia;

- to explore the possible impact of social, economic, political, environmental andtechnological changes on the future of Namibia in order to identify a limited number of

focus areas for the NICI strategy and policy;

- to identify the issues which have to be incorporated in the legal and regulatoryframework of the country as a basis for NICI development;


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- to understand the requirements for NICI skills and leadership development ingovernment, in business, non-governmental organisations, other stakeholders and the

youth;- to explore current initiatives and future needs in respect of NICI development in crucial

areas such as government services, education, health, electronic commerce and

community information; and- to identify the processes, success factors and pitfalls in developing and implementing a

NICI plan.

The benefits to be derived from embracing the new technologies are enormous. In Namibia, as in the

rest of Africa, we need to improve the quality of life of all our citizens, while economic integration in

the region and improved trade and other linkages with the global societies are necessary to accelerate

development in all spheres of economic and social activity. Neither Namibia nor any country,developed or underdeveloped, can afford to be left behind in this fast developing information and

communication technology age.

The global information infrastructure, the process of making connectivity available to everyone on the

planet, opens up a multitude of possibilities. For example, in the field of education, the teacher doesno longer need to put learners under one roof in order for them to listen to his lecture and respond to

questions. Learners and students will be put in the position to study and do research by making use ofcomputers and multimedia networks. A teacher could be based in Windhoek, but be able to

simultaneously communicate to thousands of students in other towns throughout Namibia. Through

tele-teaching, students would be able to ask questions and receive answers.

A similar process could be cited in health where a patient in one country can have medical

consultations with a doctor in another country, or a patient in our rural areas can consult a specialist in

the capital. Tele-medicine enables medical practitioners to make diagnosis and give prescriptions

worldwide. In the field of agriculture, decision support systems available through cyberspace will

help to lessen the effects of drought, famine, man-made and natural disasters. Similar examples can be

mentioned regarding trade and commerce where transactions can be concluded worldwide through theuse of the new technologies.

This workshop also comes at a critical time when government is reappraising the size of governmentand the civil service. The outcome of this workshop will thus enable government to take the necessary

measures to address the size of government and eliminate duplication.

The African Information Society Initiative identified four major components for developing andimproving the information and communication sector. These include:

- the institutional framework and legal, regulatory and management mechanisms;- human resources development;- information resources or infostructure; andtechnological resources or infrastructure.With this in mind, it is of utmost importance that this workshop comes up with solutions and

recommendations to meet the above-mentioned components.

The development of the country's information and communication infrastructure is a process. It will

not happen overnight. Other issues will come up as we progress, but processes require time and

patience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are on the threshold of the 21st century. In less than 20 months we will be entering the Year 2000.The new millenium poses its own problems that require our urgent and immediate attention. The Year


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2000 computer problem is the single biggest challenge facing the Information Technology industry

since the first computer became operational 51 years ago. The problem seems to be deceptively

simple because it all revolves around computers not being able to distinguish between the years 1900and 2000. Without

If the necessary adjustments are not made before the Year 2000, we face the possibility of computers

producing incorrect results or a complete shutdown of computer systems. The consequences will be

disastrous. For government alone it will inter alia result in cheques not being printed, orders not being

processed, payments not being calculated, and budgets not being produced. Is Namibia ready? It is

not good enough for one institution to be ready while the rest are not. The chaos, which will ensue,

will have a national impact. Unpreparedness to enter the next millenium may also result in costly and

time consuming legal wrangles, which may put our justice system under tremendous pressure.

Realising the urgency of the matter and in an attempt to raise national awareness concerning this

challenge, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting invited experts to address the workshop on

this burning issue. I trust that all of us will join hands during this workshop to come up with a unified

position on how to address this problem, the action to be taken and the financial resources required by

government, the business community and all other stakeholders to find a timely solution.

The consideration of a task force, best coordinated by government, will ensure that Namibia remainunited in tackling this challenge and to minimise the risk of becoming the dumping ground for

incompatible computers to the Year 2000.

The work we embark upon today is formidable. Experts predict that the consequences of the

information revolution will surpass the effects of the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century.

Namibia cannot afford to be left out of the information revolution. We have no choice but to position

ourselves well and to actively participate in it and take our rightful place amongst the community of

nations.

I now have the honour to declare this workshop officially open.

I thank you.

national ic infrastructure strategy for namibia 1998

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