ANC Today 

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Volume 5, No. 44, 4-10 November 2005

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THIS WEEK:

* Letter from the President: Communication - a fundamental human right 
* International Affairs: Progress in building a better Africa and world 

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Communication - a fundamental human right

The UN Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) took place in
2002. Those who were involved in organising and hosting the WSSD were very
concerned that when it finally took place, the Summit would proceed without any
major hitches, and produce commendable results.

When all the statistical and other information about the WSSD was collated, it
became possible to tell an extraordinary story about this World Summit. One
element of this story was that the Johannesburg WSSD was the biggest conference
that the United Nations Organisation had convened ever since it was established
in 1945.

The Johannesburg WSSD also took place after various international conferences,
from the WTO Seattle Conference onwards, had had to contend with large and
militant demonstrations, some of which turned violent. Many participants
believed that the Johannesburg WSSD would face the same challenge.

The demonstrations took place, enabling various non-governmental domestic and
international organisations to express their views. Nevertheless there was no
violence.

Those who wanted to take to the streets to communicate their views, took to the
streets without let or hindrance with regard to their right to express the
views. They had no need to resort to violent forms of protest, provoked by
unreasonable restrictions on their right to protest.

After its close, we were immensely proud and relieved that the WSSD had taken
place without any major hitches, and had produced commendable results. We felt
especially privileged that we had hosted an unprecedented international
gathering that had succeeded to unite the peoples and countries of the world
around a common programme of action focused on the challenge of achieving the
sustainable development of human society.

But, of course, memory fades as time passes and new and more recent developments
impose themselves on the domestic and international human consciousness. We too,
begin to forget the WSSD and what it meant to us.

Our own activities, host of the WSSD, unavoidably confirm the relevance of the
expression - out of sight, out of mind! Nevertheless, significantly, we have
incorporated the outcomes of the WSSD in our national agenda and our system of
international relations.

Time has ensured that these outcomes have become an inherent part of the
domestic and international agenda of our democratic state, losing their
exceptional identity as a distinct stand-alone sustainable programme alien to,
or otherwise discrete from the overall reconstruction and development programmes
that define the new South Africa.

We are also fortunate that we have had the possibility to participate in a
distinct programme that arose out of the WSSD, thanks to the dedication of some
to do everything possible to contribute to the realisation of the objectives
agreed at the WSSD.

I refer here to the initiative taken by the information technology (IT) company,
Hewlett Packard (HP), the Limpopo Provincial Government and the Mogalakwena
District Municipality in Limpopo to launch the "i-community" project in this
municipality.

The website dedicated to this initiative says: "The first South African i-
Community - in Mogalakwena municipality, Limpopo - was launched in September
2002 by President Thabo Mbeki and former HP chairman Carly Fiorina as a part of
the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development. The intention is to transform
Mogalakwena into a thriving community where information technology empowers
individuals, families and the community at large - and shapes their future in an
economically and environmentally sustainable way."

The website also explains: "Despite the enormous worldwide impact of the
Internet, over 90% of the world's population has never used the technology and
the 'digital divide' between the developed and developing nations is growing.

"(Here we introduce) the HP i-Community programme,...an innovative initiative
that sees private sector companies, developing nation governments, NGOs and
local community stakeholders partnering to create the ICT-enabled solutions
necessary to bridge that divide. HP i-Communities are founded on Public-Private
Partnerships. And the goal is to establish breakthrough models of sustainable
social and economic development that can then be replicated in similar
communities around the world."

The Mogalakwena i-community initiative, which has also been supported by many
other government and private sector institutions, has as one of its central
goals the spread of the use of modern information and communication technologies
(ICTs) in rural communities to bridge the digital divide and use ICTs to help
rural communities successfully to address the challenges of sustainable
development.

Just over three years after it was launched, with HP playing the leading role,
the i-community initiative has now been formally handed over to the Limpopo
Provincial Government to manage and develop. The Provincial Government has taken
over a multi-faceted programme that gives great hope to the residents of the
largely rural District of Mogalakwena.

As reflected in the HP i-community website, this programme includes:

* Community Computer Camps, which run ICT literacy programmes for children and
adults. So far these have trained over 3,000 Mogalakwena residents. 
* Basic PC literacy courses dealing with the fundamentals of operating a PC as
well as the basics of running commonly-used applications such as word
processors, spreadsheets and Web browsers. These training courses are run over a
period of five days. 
* Advanced PC and application training, involving technical courses conducted to
enable members of the community to support the new ICT infrastructure and
systems in place at the HP i-community. This training also includes application
support for end users. 
* A PC refurbishment programme, which teaches local community members to
refurbish old PCs so that they can be resold. The purpose is to enable those
taking the course to gain skills which have a commercial potential. Some of
those who have completed the course have either established businesses using
their PC refurbishment skills, or have added this service to supplement their
existing business. 
* A business resource centre which provides access to technology, information
and requisite services to support schools, community projects and local
businesses. The resource centre is also active in enabling local entrepreneurs
to start their own businesses and a New Venture Creation Learnership programme
which began in January 2004, focused on the principles of business development.
Learners were given coaching on developing their own business plans, and
conducted practical work supervised by the HP i-community. They are now in an
advantageous position in terms of either starting their own businesses or
finding employment elsewhere. 
* A call centre and help desk currently staffed by 25 ISETT SETA learners -the
work forming the practical element of their studies. The skills being learnt by
the trainees will prepare them for vocational life after their studies are
complete. It is expected that the call centre will also be a major contributor
to the long-term sustainability of the i-community. 
* Promotion of digital culture through the development of skills focused on
Internet and broadcast radio, audio-video recording and editing, web site
design, and digital photography. Additionally, the staff are testing and
integrating open source software tools into a complete multi-media desktop
training and implementation solution. One of the key programmes launched as part
of the digital culture initiative is "D-Naledi tsa Mokkies" (Digital Stars of
Mokopane) - an initiative that provides soloists and/or groups of musicians,
poets, writers and performers the opportunity to have their material recorded
professionally and cost-effectively in Mogalakwena. For a nominal fee, budding
artists can walk away with a CD or DVD of their performance that they can
market, distribute or showcase by leveraging the i-community's many resources. 
* Preparing Mogalakwena residents to obtain the International Computer Driving
Licence (ICDL), which is recognised internationally as the benchmark for
measuring end-user computer skills. This qualification certifies that the holder
is competent in the use of a personal computer, common software applications and
understands the essential concepts of ICT. The Mogalakwena HP i-community took
this one step further early in 2004 by becoming the world's first ICDL training
and testing centre for Open Source Software. Courseware was co-developed with
the ICDL foundation and the first ICDL for Open Source class of trainees
graduated in June 2004. 
* Provision for ISETT SETA learnerships in terms of which 100 students entered a
year-long sponsored learnership programme in January 2004. This is the largest
ISETT SETA learnership in a rural setting in South Africa, with the students
divided equally among technical support, systems development, call centre and
venture creation courses. Early this year, learners received nationally-
recognised qualifications upon graduation and are already being integrated into
many of the existing i-community programmes. 
* Demonstration projects addressing the challenge of sustainable livelihoods,
showcasing innovative solutions for water, sanitation, waste management and
recycling, food security (via drip irrigation and eco-circle farming),
indigenous medicinal gardens, forestation, alternative energy sources (including
SA-developed solar panels), and a prototype "HP i-centre": a computer-based
development suite that supports the range of HP i-community services. 
* Other programmes involving the development and use of Open Source technology
in rural areas, the first of its kind designed specifically to meet the needs of
developing economies, the introduction of an HP multi-user desktop that allows
four people to work simultaneously and independently, the training of sports
instructors who are also trained in the PC literacy and sustainable livelihoods
programmes, specialised libraries on ICTs, and providing examples of e-
government to help the District and Local Municipalities to use the ICTs to
improve their capacity to serve the people. 

These programmes illustrate the enormous impact the Mogalakwena i-community
project is making and will make on this largely rural population. When we
revisited the district to participate in the ceremonies to pass on the project
to the Limpopo Government, we were very inspired to see that Mogalakwena
residents who had graduated from the training programmes of the i-community had
taken over leadership of most of the i-community projects.

At the end of this visit, we had an opportunity to address the thousands of
residents of Mogalakwena who had gathered in the Dipichi Local Municipality to
witness the handover. We urged them to treat the i-community programme as their
own, and take advantage of everything it offered, from PC literacy to growing
vegetables for household food security and commercial purposes. The people
listened to this address in respectful silence.

However, representatives of the Provincial Government had told us that there was
a widespread complaint in Dipichi Local Municipality that the mobile phone
companies had not built the communication infrastructure that would enable the
residents to use their cell phones.

Accordingly, when we addressed the people, we told them that together with the
Premier of the Province, we would immediately take up this matter with the
mobile phone companies. This resulted in very warm applause from the thousands
that had gathered for a purpose other than gaining access to wireless telephony!

As part of the effort to ensure that the i-community addresses the needs of the
people, the i-community project had conducted some research to understand the
socio-economic profile of the least developed villages within the Mogalakwena
District. This study produced some very interesting information.

Among other things, it showed that:

* only 44% of the people in these villages earned an income; 
* 142 households said that pensions and government grants were their main source
of income, compared to 91 which derived their income from wages, salaries and
their own business activities; 
* 47% of the households had a bank account, with 94% of these being savings accounts; 
* 26% of the households own a TV set, while 69% have a radio; 
* of great interest, 49% of the households in these highly deprived rural areas
had cell phones: on average, residents had to walk 2,7 km to reach the nearest
fixed line public telephone. 

As we have said, the people gathered in a public meeting in Dipichi, one of the
least developed areas in the Mogalakwena District, warmly welcomed our
announcement that we would work urgently to bring them into the mobile telephone
signals network.

Fortunately, within a week of our communicating this undertaking to the mobile
phone companies, they put up the masts that now allow the people of Dipichi to
use their cell phones! We thank them for the speed with which they acted to
respond to the needs of the least developed areas of the District of
Mogalakwena. They will be pleased to know that their speedy action has produced
great happiness among the thousands that live in the least developed villages of
Mogalakwena.

The socio-economic survey conducted by the Mogalakwena i-community, some of
whose results we have cited, makes the important statement that: "Statistics
demonstrate that the lack of information in all areas is one of the key reasons
(which keeps the residents in the least developed villages of Mogalakwena) in
poverty. Urgent thought should be given as to the most sustainable, effective
and integrated options (to provide information), covering all identified areas.
A specific communications programme needs to be planned in detail."

At Mogalakwena, we learnt the lesson that even communities living in the least
developed rural areas in our country understand the imperative to bridge the
digital and information divide, as an essential part of the struggle to provide
a better life for all.

The Mogalakwena i-community has provided us with a base we must use to respond
to this challenge. But perhaps our starting point to achieve the sustainable
development addressed by the WSSD must be to ensure universal access to
affordable telephony!

Thabo Mbeki

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Progress in building a better Africa and world

South Africa remains firmly engaged in the effort to build a better Africa and
world, working to strengthen international and continental organisations and
contributing to the achievement of peace, stability and post-conflict
reconstruction in several parts of Africa.

Briefing the media this week on progress in the programme of action of
government's international relations, peace and security cluster, Foreign
Affairs Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad outlined the areas in which progress had been
made since the previous quarterly report, and highlighted some of the challenges
ahead. We publish below edited extracts of the briefing.

United Nations Reform

The UN Millennium Review Summit has taken place with some progress made, but
agreement on a number of areas affecting the African continent and the
developing world was not forthcoming. South Africa continues to contribute to
the resolutions of these issues as part of the progressive movement for change
in the world.

It is disappointing that there was not enough agreement with regard to
developmental challenges facing Africa. The latest UN Social Development Report
indicates that, at the current pace, Africa will be the only continent that will
fail to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Among the issues that need finalisation are some that were considered pillars of
the overall reform package namely, the operational modalities of the Human
Rights Council, the Peace-building Commission, reform of the Security Council,
and UN Secretariat and management reforms.

This is a serious indictment of the developed countries in their lack of
political will to deal comprehensively with issues that affect the
underdeveloped countries. South Africa has participated actively in the various
negotiating forums leading up to the UN Millennium Review Summit, including the
Africa Group, the Group of 77 and China, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

To proceed on the outstanding issues, Sweden, the current President of the UN
General Assembly, has invited South Africa to join a new core group to lead the
consultative and negotiation processes. We hope that the various committees
established to deal with the outstanding issues would be able to successfully
complete their tasks within the next 12 months.

Many of the outstanding issues are of great importance to Africa. An
extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly that convened in Addis
Ababa on 31 October 2005 concluded that sufficient support exists for Africa's
original position of demanding two permanent seats with veto rights on the UN
Security Council and five non-permanent seats.

It was also agreed that the support for this position should be tested by
requesting the UN General Assembly to vote on the resolution. After such a vote,
African Union members will then determine what steps, if any, to take next. It
is still uncertain when the resolution will be presented at the UN General
Assembly.

We continue to take a multilateral approach to world affairs and to be guided by
our decisions in the AU on the matter of UN reform. South Africa will continue
its active and positive engagement in efforts to reform and revitalise the
United Nations to ensure that the organisation is able to adequately meet the
global challenges of the 21st Century.

Consolidation of the Africa Agenda

The African Union is in the process of consolidating its organs of governance
through reorganising its resources to strengthen capacity within its various
institutions.

The fourth session of the Pan-African Parliament will take place from 21
November to 2 December 2005 at its headquarters in Midrand. South Africa
continues to fulfil its obligations in terms of the Host Agreement and provides
additional personnel and logistical support. Issues on the agenda for this
session are: 

* Strategic Plan for 2006-2010, 
* consideration and approval for the Pan-African Parliament budget, 
* consideration and adoption of the commission reports, and debates on the
oversight of the Pan-African Parliament, 
* reports of the AU on peace and security in Africa, 
* Debates on the Great Lakes Region Declaration, 
* Report on the Pan-African Parliament Mission to Mauritania, 
* Debates on the reports of the Blair Commission on Africa in relation to the
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review
Mechanism. 

African Peer Review Mechanism

Rwanda and Ghana have been assessed in terms of the African Peer Review
Mechanism (APRM) process. Reports were finalised in June. A detailed discussion
will take place at the African Peer Review Forum Summit in Abuja in December.

It is now South Africa's turn to be assessed. The first national consultative
conference took place from 28-29 September 2005 and will be followed by a series
of provincial consultative conferences and community level workshops where many
constituencies will have the opportunity to make their inputs. A national
governing council of 15 members (civil society, government, business) has been
established. The Secretariat of the APRM will interact with this body during the
process of assessment. There has been engagement with representatives of higher
education institutions and bodies that protect the constitutional rights of
South African citizens and residents.

In line with the APRM guidelines, the review process will culminate in a country
assessment report and a Programme of Action. The APRM questionnaire has been
posted on the website of the Department of Public Service and Administration.

Peace, stability and post-conflict reconstruction

Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been scheduled for
March/April 2006. Preparations for these processes are at an advanced stage to
ensure successful implementation. However, insufficient funding remains one of
the major obstacles to the successful implementation of these processes.

Cooperation agreements have been entered into between various government
departments and their DRC counterparts with the objective of building capacity
and strengthening service delivery in that country. This includes bilateral
cooperation in education, immigration, migration, local government, and training
of personnel in the public and police services.

However, safety and security challenges are still prevalent in the eastern part
of the DRC, where foreign armed groups, mainly from neighbouring Rwanda, have
infiltrated that part of the country causing instability among the local
population. There are 859 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members
supporting the UN Mission in the DRC and 28 SANDF members supporting the DRC
government with the integration of the armed forces. There have been reports by
UN forces of sexual misconduct among South African troops. This matter is being
investigated by the Department of Defence, and a report is being awaited.

Burundi is now in its post-conflict reconstruction and development phase. This
must be the emphasis of the international community. There are 924 South African
troops deployed as part of the UN Mission and 378 offering VIP protection under
the auspices of the UN.

An outstanding challenge is to integrate the FNL rebel group, which is refusing
to join the negotiations. The new Burundian government has offered to enter into
negotiations, and a committee has been established to conduct these
negotiations, led by the current chair of the ruling party, accompanied by four
cabinet ministers. The deadline for the FNL to disarm and join the peace process
expired on 31 October 2005. The government has announced its intention to
forcibly disarm the rebel group. The FNL has issued a statement saying they do
not recognise the current government. However, there are divisions within the
FNL because of this movement by the government with some factions refusing to
negotiate.

On the development front, the new President has been visiting provinces and has
come up with a new plan for development - part of which is the promise to
provide free education to primary school learners. South Africa has indicated it
will deploy inter-departmental teams of experts to Burundi to investigate
government-to-government cooperation projects to implement post-conflict and
reconstruction.

Less than a week after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that a serious
deterioration between Ethiopia and Eritrea could lead to "another round of
devastating hostilities," the UN mission monitoring a ceasefire between the two
countries reported this week that the situation on the ground is tense.

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) said restrictions on its freedom
of movement were continuing in both the central and western sectors on the
Eritrean side following the ban imposed by the Asmara government on UN
helicopters. Night movement of patrols is also being curtailed, seriously
limiting the mission's ability to monitor the remaining 40% of the Temporary
Security Zone and adjacent areas.

The previous media briefing of this cluster in September mentioned that on 31
August the South African Minister of Defence presented a report of the mediation
team on Côte d'Ivoire to the Security Council. The report outlined progress made
by the mediation team in its engagements with the various Ivorian role-players.
A central concern was that the disarmament and demobilisation of 50,000
fighters, that was due to start on 31 July 2005, had yet not commenced. The
disarmament of militias had also not started.

Although President Laurent Gbagbo had, at the request of the Mediator, effected
amendments to the laws on nationality, immigration and the independent electoral
commission to bring these into line with the Pretoria Agreement, Former
President Henri Konan Bedié of the Parti Democratique' de Côte d'Ivoire
continued to promote the broad opposition strategy of establishing an interim
government, which excludes President Gbagbo.

The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting on 5 October in Addis Ababa
decided the following: 

* President Gbagbo shall remain Head of State during this period. 
* A new Prime Minister acceptable to all the Ivorian signatories to the Linas-
Marcoussis Agreement shall be appointed. The Government, which he will lead,
shall be composed of personalities proposed by the Ivorian signatories to the
Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. 
* The Government shall continue to discharge the responsibilities and tasks
assigned to it by the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III Agreements. The Ministers
shall be accountable to the Prime Minister, who shall have full authority over
his cabinet.
* The Prime Minister shall not be eligible to stand for the elections to be
organised, in accordance with the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. 
* To assist the Government in the implementation of its programme and
consolidate and strengthen the existing follow-up mechanisms, an International
Working Group (IWG) will be established at ministerial level, which shall meet
once a month in Côte d'Ivoire to evaluate, monitor and follow-up the peace
process. 

Food Security

Nearly 10 million people in six southern African states face severe food
shortages and many will die unless the international community provides aid
soon. The region is still $157 million short of the estimated $400 million it
needs to help Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The
six countries, which are facing their fourth consecutive year of food shortages,
have been hit by a combination of poor rains, inadequate fertilisers and seeds,
and the devastating AIDS epidemic.

The worst affected areas were Zimbabwe, where some 4.3 million people needed
help, and Malawi where 2.9 million require assistance. The United States has
been the biggest donor so far, giving more than $104 million, while European
Union states have contributed $64 million.

These engagements on the African continent are taking place alongside the South
African government's broader work on issues of South-South cooperation and trade
negotiations within the WTO to improve access for developing countries to global
markets.

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