Viewpoint| BY GWEDE MANTASHE
We must strengthen our work and be responsive to the needs of the people

The biggest threat to our movement is the intersection between the business interests and holding of public office. If we do not deal decisively with this tendency the ANC will only move one way, that is, downward. >>> MORE

 

Viewpoint | BY DINA PULE
Information Communication Technologies remain critical frontier for women's advancement

Most women in South Africa, like in many other countries, have to grapple with the negative technologically social conditioning, which together with several other factors, continues to be a barrier for the entry of large numbers of women, specifically into the ICT sector and other technological industries. >>> MORE

Viewpoint | BY MALUSI GIGABA
We must unite to fight child pornography

Every child deserves childhood that includes a period of innocence. We are not protecting our children when we, by our silence and inaction, allow them to be used for the sexual gratification of adults or to be exposed to pornography and other harmful content. >>> MORE

Viewpoint | by Gwede Mantashe

We must strengthen our work and be responsive to the needs of the people

Local government is the most important sphere of government. It is where direct and dynamic contact with communities happens. It is an area where the African National Congress can and should dramatically improve its performance.

We need to analyse our weaknesses correctly and come up with concrete proposals for improvement. It is easy to criticize councillors as not performing, as weak, as lacking commitment and make many negative statements, and in the process offend many good councillors that the ANC has developed in about fifteen years.

The wave of service delivery-related protests we experienced recently raises new questions about our need to pay closer attention to this important sphere of government. We must be able to give the correct diagnosis of every protest action we see. Where service delivery is the real issue, we must be responsive and address the problems raised by the communities with the necessary speed. We must resist the temptation to be dismissive of problems and concerns of communities. Every problem must be treated with the necessary seriousness.

We must confront situations where the crisis is a function of infighting and positioning by some of our members to take over as councillors immediately or in local government elections in 2011. In such situations we must defend those who become victims of ambition. We must defend our policies and the image of our movement at all cost. We must deal with individual comrades who assume a bigger importance than the organisation itself.

The biggest threat to our movement is the intersection between the business interests and holding of public office. It is frightening to observe the speed with which the election to a position is seen to be the creation of an opportunity for wealth accumulation. Deployment to positions in local government should not be based on who can best facilitate opportunity for wealth accumulation for those in position of power.

If we do not deal decisively with this tendency the ANC will only move one way, that is, downward. Fighting corruption must be our preoccupation. The scale of corruption at local level is not at the same level as at both provincial and national level. The problem is that it is cruder. ANC councillors must be part of the network to fight corruption in all its forms and manifestations.

The lack of depth and experience make us less effective. Sixty seven percent of councillors are first term councillors, twenty eight percent are in their second term and only five percent are in the third term or more. As the ANC we have not consciously sought to retain experience. We have allowed clean sweeping of our public representatives in every round of elections. We have also treated local government as the stopover in a movement to either provincial or national government.

In 2011 we must retain some visible depth of skills and experience. To do this in a more scientific way we must do the performance assessment of councillors and complete it before December. We should do the follow up assessment around June 2010. Those comrades who are not performing must be given such feedback now and help them improve. Our assessment will cover three broad areas - council work, political work and personal development.

• Council work will cover areas such as attendance of council meetings, ANC caucus; work in committees and the quality of contribution in all these council structures.
• Political work will deal with one's involvement in the ANC's political work, that is, work in the constituency, including report back meetings and public meetings.
• Self-development is important for the ANC so as to develop the depth of experience and skills and make deployment to critical and strategic positions easier.

The branches of the ANC are important in that they must do the political oversight. This requires that we conduct more training and political education. Our branches must be made aware that the political leadership responsibility is not an opportunity to take over as a councillor. Branches must play a bigger role in the calling of public meetings, in that only those branches that call these meetings will be able to detect brewing trouble and live up to the tradition of the ANC being rooted among the people.

The ANC is not leading itself, but must lead society. We can, therefore, not limit our activism to our own structural meetings. Public meetings are a must for all our councillors.

ANC-controlled municipalities should never be outperformed by those controlled by the opposition. The responsibility of an ANC survival and/or collapse in local government rests on the shoulders of each councillor. We should be loyal to our decisions and take responsibility for both successes and failures.

All councillors must call public meetings immediately and continue doing so regularly to give feedback on what they are doing or planning to do. Equally important will be taking up the problems and concerns raised by communities and alert the province timely on potential problems including protests in our communities.

In preparation for 2011 we must do the performance assessment of councillors and give feedback. This should inform the selection of candidates for the 2011 local government elections.

To ensure continuity and improvement of our performance, we must strive for the retention of experience and expertise for continuity and improvement of our performance. Councillors and our branches must be part of the presidential crack team in fighting crime and corruption.

Working together we can and must do more to improve service delivery and performance of our councillors.

>> Gwede Mantashe is the Secretary General of the ANC

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Viewpoint | BY Dina Pule

Information Communication Technologies remain critical frontier for women's advancement

Women's Day is undoubtedly an occasion for celebration, but we must also use it as a juncture to reassert ourselves to continue the 'unfinished' struggle for gender equality in all spheres of our national life as a country, nation and as communities constituting our rainbow nation.

It is reassuring to note that our Government has the political intent and will, as well as the policy instruments in place to continue the task of achieving gender equality in most spheres of our national life.

However, we should not take women's equality or wider human rights for granted simply because these are guaranteed by the constitution. In fact, we should champion such rights as work-in-progress to ensure that equality becomes socially institutionalised, endemic and entrenched as a practice in our lives as a nation and country.

As our country enters the critical and ongoing phase of intensifying our struggle for economic liberation and equality, much more attention should be given to advance the prospects of women in commerce, entrepreneurship, education, science, engineering and technology.

Focussing on the advancement of women in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector would be an important area to champion. WomanIT, a Finland based organisation committed to broaden the participation of women in Science, Engineering and Technology, sums up the imperative role of women in ICTs as follows:

"Women need ICTs for the same reasons as men: to get more information to carry out their productive, reproductive, and community roles; to conduct their businesses, as a service of employment and to work in the ICT industry; to find resources for themselves, their families, their work, and their communities; and to have a voice in their lives, their community, their government, and the larger world that shares their issues and problems. In summary, they need ICTs to function in a digital world. Or as we say in WomanIT: 'to prevent technology bypassing women.'"

Unfortunately, most women in South Africa, like in many other countries, have to grapple with the historical and cultural challenges of how boys and girls are socially conditioned with regard to technology. This negative technologically social conditioning, together with several other factors, continues to be a barrier for the entry of large numbers of women, specifically into the ICT sector and generally other technological industries.

For instance, technical and technological skills have traditionally been a male domain. Generally, in most homes, girls are not encouraged, guided or supported to take up technology. Customarily parents give their girls toys designed in ways which completely lack any components steering them toward experimenting, dismantling and rebuilding.

Consequently, girls fail to develop skills in handling devices and technical equipment or any experiential-grasp of the fundamental rules of mechanics and technology. Therefore, their daring and conviction in their own mathematical and technical capabilities also fails to develop.

These gender stereotypes remain barriers to women choosing ICTs and other technological career paths, and hold them back in the workplace and marketplace. Studies have shown that such gender-based role perceptions, the division of labour on the basis of such perceptions as well as concepts about men and women in general are formed in early childhood. However, research has shown that when given equal opportunities girls could excel in technology, no less than that of boys.

An ICT skills audit, conducted in 2005 by the Department of Trade and Industry, shows that there has been a very positive movement in changing the demographics of available human resources in the ICT sector. However, there is a concern that the numbers of professionals with degrees and those with higher tertiary qualifications are on the decline. Similarly the demographics at managerial and supervisory levels in the ICT sector still continue to show large discrepancies between women and men, and predominance of white males.

Also a 2006 study commissioned by the Embassy of Finland in South Africa, titled 'Women in the Information and Communication Technology Sector in South Africa', the state of ICTs was summed up as follows:

"South Africa has an established, but relatively small base of highly skilled, predominantly white, male ICT professionals, although a more demographically representative workforce does appear to be emerging, particularly at the lower end of the ICT skills spectrum. Women still make up a disproportionately small percentage of management (between 18-20%) and still earn much less than men."

Redressing this imbalance in order to ensure full participation of women in the ICT sector is crucial. The ICT industry is seen as one of the key drivers of the South African economy and the ICT sector has been identified as one of the key sectors by the South African Government through its various national initiatives.

In addition, the Government has taken a proactive stance on ICTs, and mandated the Department of Communications (DoC) to use ICTs for economic development and the creation of decent work. Furthermore, the ongoing efforts by our colleagues in the Department of Science and Technology to create more conducive conditions for South Africa's inventive genius and ingenuity to flourish is very encouraging for future technological breakthroughs in our country.

The ICT sector remains a technological hub where breakthroughs and the birth of new technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities could be spawned which could exponentially impact on our development both as a country and continent. More especially during an economic downturn, the ICT industry may well have the possibilities of leading the economic recovery and renewal of the global economy.

Not only is the DoC tasked by Government to broaden and expand the ICT sector by enhancing South Africa's ICT capacity and capabilities to bring it on par with international best practice, but also to bridge the racial and gender based digital divide.

On the other hand much more research has to be commissioned by both government and private enterprise to make labour market statistics on the ICT sector more readily available. Such statistics would enable the Government and the private sector to regularly evaluate the state of the ICT sector with regard to employment and occupational categories. Of course, the rapid and ongoing technological developments and changing occupational categories due to convergence (fusion of content with connectivity) makes ICT statistics even more problematic.

ICTs are very pervasive in the modern economy and all sectors in the economy are involved in computer and communications technology. This cumulative and multiplier effect of ICTs would ultimately have a synergistic impact on our country. Of course, more effective coordination and cooperation between Government, stakeholders in the ICT sector and citizens at large would contribute to greater outcomes.

The study titled 'Women in the Information and Communication Technology Sector in South Africa' also points out the threats posed by women's marginalization in the ICT sector as follows:

"Not only is the low participation of women in high-level ICTs a problem for women, but also for the country and the industry. Women are missing an increasing number of technology-related job opportunities and run the risk that technological developments will not be relevant to their needs. A country cannot compete in an increasingly global ICT market if half of its talented citizens are not participating. It is important that women should be in the position to influence and direct the ICT sector. Continued exclusion of women from ICTs implies that women will have few opportunities to influence the ways in which these technologies develop and affect their lives.

"Moreover, the ICT industry is losing the talent of skilled women who can bring to it a richness and diversity of thought and perspective and help alleviate the shortage of skills, which is exacerbated by their lack of participation. Without women as an integral part of the workforce, the ICT industry is bereft of many potential contributors to the formulation of government and research policy and the development of technology that benefits communities as a whole; it is also deprived of a broader set of perspectives in the design of critical information systems."

The Government is well informed and passionate that South Africa needs to move towards a broader skills base that strongly reflects the demographics of the country, and that stimulates the participation of previously disadvantaged individuals, especially women, namely in science, engineering and technology. Although an increasing number of graduates are women, they still represent a minority in many of the science disciplines.

The Government, private enterprise, parents, educators and other stakeholders should intensify their energetic partnerships to confront with renewed commitment the cultural and societal norms that determine that science, engineering and technology are not perceived as good career options for women.

Such spirited partnerships, if consistently implemented and pursued, would provide a sound foundation to ensure that technology would not bypass women, let alone any other South African.

>> Dina Pule is an ANC NEC member and Deputy Minister of Communications

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Viewpoint | BY Malusi Gigaba

We must unite to fight child pornography

One of the least known and spoken about crimes of child abuse is child pornography. Unlike other crimes it exists where it cannot be easily detected. However, the fact that you do not know about it does not mean it is not happening.

Child pornography refers to the pornographic images involving children below the age of 18 years. In terms of the Film and Publications Act child pornography includes "any image, real or simulated, however created, or any description, of a person who is, or who is depicted or described as being, under the age of 18 years;

 

• engaged in sexual conduct, or
• assisting another person to engage in sexual conduct, or
• showing or describing the body, or parts of the body, of such a person in a manner or in circumstances which, within context, amounts to sexual exploitation, or in such a manner that it is capable of being used for the purposes of sexual exploitation."

According to the Act, it is also an offence to possess, create, produce, distribute, import, access, advertise or promote child pornography images. Each of these acts carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Failure to report knowledge of child pornography images to the police is also an offence. It is also an offence to expose children to pornography. Even if one commits any of these acts outside South Africa, you may be prosecuted when you return to South Africa.

In its essence, child pornography is child abuse and constitutes a violation of the childhood, the innocence and the rights of the children. Beyond the image of child pornography is the child that has been sexually abused for real; and even if it is a simulated image, it signifies all children who stand the risk of being sexually abused for real. What is worse about it is that the actual crime of child abuse continues beyond the actual physical abuse of the child; it continues to live on the web, videos, computer disks and photographs or other images as it is circulated from one person or groups of people to the next.

Some cold facts about this matter include that the number of paedophilia websites has sky-rocketed globally. More than 20,000 images of child pornography are posted online every week; approximately 20% of all Internet pornography involves children; and there are approximately 100,000 websites that offer child pornography and more than 1 million images of child pornography on the Internet.

Today, child pornography is conducted as a multi-billion dollar business by crime syndicates and our own country is not exempted. The SAPS reported that there was a radical rise in the rates of violence against children in South Africa, manifested amongst other things in the rising cases of child pornography currently under investigation or before the Courts, involving teachers and even the parents of children in some instances.

More than 99% of child pornography images are accessed and distributed through the Internet and mobile phones, and children themselves are reported to be increasingly involved in the distribution of these images. What is equally perturbing and harmful is the increasing ease with which children can access pornography on the Internet, mobile phones and both electronic and print media. What exacerbates this is the ignorance of the parents, teachers and guardians who allow children to view any television programme, and access internet and mobile phones without educating them about the harmful risks posed by this technology and to use such technology without adult supervision. Some of the electronic media, especially the broadcasters, are intransigent to monitoring and protecting children. Driven by the desire to make profit, they flight adult movies with unsuitable content for children even before they go to bed.

In a survey conducted by the Film and Publication Board (FPB) in 2006 among learners in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on this matter of the exposure of children to pornography, it was found that:

• 67% had watched a pornographic film;
• 64% had seen pornographic images on the internet;
• 81% know their friends had pornographic images on their cell phones;
• Internet and cell phones are more popular amongst the youth than traditional means such as magazines;
• 70% of the pupils in the schools surveyed in Gauteng and the Western Cape had watched pornography as compared to 62% in KZN; and
• Chat rooms on the internet and cell phones are popular among children in all provinces and very few of them were aware of the potential dangers from internet predators who use chat rooms as hunting grounds for children.

The likelihood of sexual exploitation of children during the 2010 FIFA World Cup cannot be ignored. During previous world cup events hosted in Greece (2004) and Germany (2006) an exceptional growth in the demand for sexual services were experienced which do not exclude the sexual exploitation of children. It is estimated that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will create conditions that will increase the vulnerability of children and provide opportunities for abusers, exploiters, traffickers, collectors of child pornography and paedophiles to meet the perceived increased demand for cheap labour and sexual services.

In light of the 2010 FIFA World Cup the following risks have been identified;

• Lack of effective childcare, development and protection services in under-resourced communities place children at risk;
• The large influx of people – local & foreign - to host cities; is expected to increase the abuse, exploitation and trafficking and child pornography;
• The expected economic gain will fuel and increase the demand and supply factors that place children at risk to provide cheap and exploitable labour, sexual and other services;
• It is also feared that the expected economic gain will increase rural child migration, children surviving and living on the street - increase in children/youth begging from locals and foreigners or forced to sell goods to them; and
• Increase usage of the Internet and cellphone social networking forums.

Researchers indicate that paedophilia cannot be redeemed, treated or converted and hence anyone found to have committed this crime must thus forever be removed from working or interacting with children.

We need to engage in a sustained campaign, involving schools, religious institutions, NGOs, the media, parents, teachers and children themselves to combat this dangerous crime. Working together, we need to unite in a people's contract to fight violence against women and children. All South Africans should challenge the social acceptance of domestic violence and sexual and gender-based abuse. Most violence against women and children is committed in family homes and by people known to the victims. Accordingly, we must break through the silence in and concealment by families and communities of this crime, expose the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to book.

At the same time, child pornography and the exposure of children to pornography in general must be made an abomination in our society, something we are not prepared to tolerate. It was in recognition of these facts, and the seriousness of this matter, that the FPB established a telephone and internet hotlines (0800 148 148 and www.fpbprochild.gov.za) to report cases of child pornography.

Further, it is important to mobilise the whole society to engage in a united campaign against all pornography, especially on the national media, both print and electronic, especially the TV.

The Films and Publications Act has been amended to make the investigation and prosecution of child pornography offenders more effective. The Act has taken radical steps to provide a broad definition of child pornography and to impose harsher sentences on the culprits.

Every child deserves childhood that includes a period of innocence. We are not protecting our children when we, by our silence and inaction, allow them to be used for the sexual gratification of adults or to be exposed to pornography and other harmful content. We have a collective duty to protect our children from harmful materials by monitoring our children's use of the Internet and mobile phones. Critically, we also have a fiduciary responsibility to educate ourselves as responsible parents and as organs of civil society, about the main risks to our children and talk to them to let them know that we are there to guide them and pass on essential safety advise. The protection of children is not somebody else's problem but ours.

The campaign against child pornography has included both proactive and preventative interventions, so that we can better protect our children. In pursuit of this, we appointed a broadly-representative Ministerial Advisory Task Team Against Child Pornography to forge strategic partnerships with mobile phone operators and internet service providers, the public broadcaster and other government and non-governmental institutions and harness our collective energies, wisdom and resources towards this common objective.

The FPB also joined the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) in pursuit of forging international partnerships and thus became the first African classification authority both to have an anti-child pornography internet hotline and become a member of INHOPE. This will assist it to exchange information about illegal content with other INHOPE members worldwide thereby enhancing the capability to respond to reports of suspected illegal websites. The international networking with INHOPE will allow South Africa to take action against images of child sexual abuse images on the internet which are hosted outside South Africa.

The website, a first of its kind on the African continent, is also intended to alert Internet Service Providers of criminal activities, relating to child pornography and or sexual abuse images hosted on their servers or distributed through their infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the objectives of the campaign to curb child pornography and inappropriate and easy access to pornography were further bolstered by the Department of Public Service and Administration's request to SITA to:

• monitor usage of the internet by government employees,
• implement filters that will deny access by Government employees to web content that is deemed inappropriate, such as pornography, audio-video, and others, and
• investigate the implementation of SPAM filters.

Every government department and province is expected to develop and implement an Internet and Electronic Mail Management Policy; and the DPSA will develop a general internet usage framework policy for guidance to departments.

It is imperative that private corporate and companies implement similar measures to curb child pornography and inappropriate easy access to pornography by the employees.

>> Malusi Gigaba is an ANC NEC member and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs