PROPOSAL FOR FREE WIFI TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
AND LAND REFORM (RDLR)
Free WiFi For Africa NPC, trading as Project Isizwe
NPO Registration 133-371 NPO
156 DORP STREET, STELLENBOSCH, 7600, SOUTH AFRICA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 3
THE DEVELOPMENTAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT .................................. 4
THE LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT ...................................................................... 5
THE BENEFITS OF CONNECTIVITY ........................................................................ 6
THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM ............... 6
RURAL REFORM INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON THE YOUTH .................................. 7
STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND
LAND REFORM ......................................................................................................... 9
HOW WILL FREE WIFI ADRESS THE RDLR STRATEGIC GOALS? .................... 10
2
OVERVIEW
The President stated in the 2015 State of the Nation address the importance of
connectivity as a growth enabler. In today’s fast-paced, digital world, the average
South African is at a disadvantage, due to a lack of access to the Internet. There is
an enormous amount of services and information, accessible via the Internet that
supports informal learning, social inclusion and economic development from which
they are excluded. Free Internet Zones (FIZ)s offer a solution to this impasse.
Each FIZ will offer a WiFi hotspot, covering open public spaces that will allow
learners and community members to simply connect and surf using any WiFi
enabled device. Access to the Internet will bridge the digital divide, allow for 21st
Century blended learning, greatly improve communication and stimulate job creation.
The impact of this project has the potential to change the trajectory of South Africa’s
youth, building the leaders of tomorrow and encouraging them to become citizens of
the world. Keeping this in mind, it is critical to consider the developmental local
government premise of the Constitution which impacts all citizens directly. The
benefits of the Internet are of greatest value to those living in rural areas, and yet
these same citizens suffer from the slowest speeds and highest prices.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s mandate appears
most effective when viewed in union with that of developmental local
government.
3
THE DEVELOPMENTAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT
The White Paper on Local Government, 1998, defines developmental local
government as:
"...government committed to working with citizens and groups within the community to
find sustainable ways to meet their social, economic and material needs and improve
the quality of their lives".1
This new and broad mandate for local government is in line with the objectives for
local government set out in the Constitution (1996) (see below). According to the
White Paper, it seeks to address the apartheid legacy which "has fundamentally
damaged the spatial, economic and social environments in which people live, work,
raise families and seek to fulfil their aspirations.” The previous local government
system led to an extremely uneven distribution of resources and distorted, fragmented
patterns of development. The eradication of these distortions and imbalances and the
poverty which flows from them is one of the greatest challenges facing local
government.
Developmental local government should adopt a strategic, creative and integrated
approach to local governance to address this challenge. It involves actively seeking
partnerships with all role-players that contribute to the development of an area including other organs of state, the private sector and communities - in order for
municipalities to fulfil their core responsibilities in a way that has a lasting and
profoundly positive impact on the quality of life of the people they serve. The
partnership between local government and the Department of Rural
Development and Land Reform is therefore critical to unlock the outcomes
intended by both their mandates.
1
National Business Initiative Democratic Local Government 2000 -‐ 2001: A Guide for Councillors. 2000. 4
THE LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT
1
The Constitution (S152) puts in place a vision for developmental local government
and contains the objectives for developmental local government:
•
To provide democratic and accountable government for local communities
•
To ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner
•
To promote social and economic development
•
To promote a safe and healthy environment
•
To encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the
matters of local government.
In terms of the Constitution, the White Paper and the legislation flowing from it,
municipalities are required to structure and manage their administration, budgeting
and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community, to
promote the social and economic development of the community and to participate in
national and provincial development programmes. In this respect the two mandates
of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and that of Local
Government correspond exactly.
Connectivity can help to address the developmental mandate of local government and
support the strategic goals of the Department of Rural Development and Land
Reform and brings it into alignment with the President and Government’s vision
expounded in the National Development Plan.
5
THE BENEFITS OF CONNECTIVITY
The benefits of the Internet are of greatest value to those living in rural areas, and yet
these same citizens suffer from the slowest speeds and highest prices.
•
LED PERSPECTIVE: The World Bank estimates that for every 10% of broadband
penetration there is a 1, 28% increase in GDP.
•
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: General access to information. Engaging with
citizens in rural areas in order to ascertain service delivery priorities and gain
feedback on governance is traditionally very difficult. Internet access allows for realtime conversations and feedback via mobile phones.
•
ONLINE EDUCATION: From teacher training, to early-childhood-development, to
distance learning, the Internet empowers learners to overcome local disadvantages
and enter the global economy.
•
ONLINE HEALTHCARE: Attracting health workers to rural areas is difficult. The
Internet allows for rural citizens to connect with healthcare information and workers via
online applications, thereby bridging the healthcare digital divide.
The well-documented consequences of Internet access are as follows:
THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
The Comprehensive Rural Development Plan (CRDP) which was conceptualized by
the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and adopted by Cabinet in
2009, serves as the overarching policy trajectory of this department. Based on a proactive participatory community-based planning approach to rural development, the
envisaged outcome of the process is the creation of “vibrant, equitable and
sustainable rural communities.”2
2 Policy for the Recapitalisation and Development Programme of the Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform. 2013:7.
6
The context for all rural development and land reform policies is the 1996 Constitution
of post-apartheid South Africa. In this instance, the most pertinent sections of the
Constitution are 25, 26, 27 and 36.3 Strong emphasis is being placed on alignment of
the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Medium Term Strategic Framework
(MTSF). Chapter 6 of the NDP sets objectives and focus points to work towards:
1) Agriculture
2) Making Land Reform work
3) Developing non-agricultural activities
4) Human capital, social security, food security and basic services
5) Rural towns
6) Rural governance
7) Farm-worker empowerment and labour relations
8) Inclusive rural development by 20304
RURAL REFORM INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON THE YOUTH
As part of the National Development Youth Strategy, a specific response for rural
youth was developed within the principles of the Comprehensive Rural Development
Programme (CRDP). It is envisaged that job creation and skills development for the
youth in the rural areas will ultimately have a positive impact on the future of
development and sustainability of the rural areas. This initiative is called “National
Rural Youth Service Corps” (NARYSEC).5
Two of the main objectives of the NARYSEC is to train the youth through specifically
developed programmes linked to community needs in rural areas and to develop the
youth with multi-disciplinary skills through civic education. Free WiFi can increase
education and skills development. The youth of a country is very important for
sustainability of the country with regards to its resources, skills capacity and
3
Policy for the Recapitalisation and Development Programme of the Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform. 2013:6. 4 National Development Plan: An integrated and Include Rural economy. Chapter 6:219-234.
5
Department of Rural and Land Reform: Rural Development Framework. 2013:19.
7
competitiveness in the market. Therefore, educating the youth should be an
investment that governments should not contest. By learning through the Internet,
students can communicate with one another, broaden their knowledge and educate
themselves on topics that they find interesting.
Methods of educating the youth have drastically changed over time. The “old”
language-based literacy and numeracy skills have now been joined by the “new”
visual, spatial and analytical skills of the digital age.6 Education can no longer be
isolated from the Internet and therefore, free WiFi could support students in rural
areas to be part of the future movement. By creating a learning culture through social
media, applications and games, students will soon be motivated to strive toward selfimprovement and help others to access education.
6
World Youth Report. 2003:41. 8
STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL
DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
Strategic
Description
Goal Statement
Corporate governance and
Foster corporate governance and service excellence
service excellence
through compliance with the legal framework
Improve land administration
Improve land administration and spatial planning for
for integrated and
integrated sustainable growth and development with a
sustainable growth and
bias towards rural areas
Goal
1
2
development
3
4
5
Promote equitable access to
An inclusive and equitable land dispensation with
and sustainable use of land
transformed patterns of land tenure and use
for development
Promote sustainable rural
Improve rural livelihoods as a result of capabilities,
livelihoods
income and job opportunities provided
Improve access to services
Improve access to services in rural areas through the
coordination of quality infrastructure
6
7
Sustainable rural enterprises
Promote economically, socially and environmentally
and industries
viable rural enterprises and industries
Restore Land rights
Restoration of land rights or equitable redress to those
dispossessed of rights in land as a result of past racially
discriminatory laws or practices, and solicitation and
receipt of new claims for restitution of land rights by 31
December 2018.
7
7 Department of Rural and Land Reform Strategic Plan 2015-2020. 2015:25.
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HOW WILL FREE WIFI ADRESS THE RDLR STRATEGIC GOALS?
Programme 1: Administration
Strategic objectives 1.1-1.5, as well as Risk Management:
The risks that the department is currently facing include weak and fragmented ICT
environment and infrastructure, lack of alignment between business operating models,
organisational structure and strategic objectives, fraud and corruption, failure to
maintain vacancy rate and inability to achieve a clean audit.8
1. By introducing free WiFi, the ICT system can significantly update their
infrastructure by running regular updates, make use of online programmes that
support their systems and have an anti-virus programme to avoid the risk of
losing data. This will also address the problems of fraud and corruption as this
can be regulated through proper ICT services, password verification and secure
online databases.
2. Often employees need to resign from their positions due to family
commitments, time-consuming travelling to and from the office or other factors,
such as tension between colleagues. By introducing Free WiFi, employees can
now work from home, have more flexible hours and save time by not travelling
and being caught up in the traffic.
3. With free WiFi, the alignment between businesses could be improved by setting
up a network for colleagues to communicate, share information and resources
and keep up to date with changes in policies. This will increase the
effectiveness of achieving the strategic objectives by avoiding duplication and
by sharing knowledge and learning from one another.
8 Department of Rural and Land Reform Strategic Plan 2015-2020. 2015:28. 10
Programme 2: National Geomatics Management Services
Strategic Objectives 2.1-2.3, as well as Risk Management:
As part of Strategic objective 2.3, there is a need for a modernised Cadastre solution.
The justification of the goal is that the solution will provide improved security of tenure,
which is responsive to the needs of the people and the demands of the times, whilst
ensuring efficient customer service to a broader client base.9 With free WiFi, the
option of community access can be addressed. By logging in with personal details, a
community member can view the progress of an enquiry that has been made or a
claim they filed. This will serve the community in an efficient way by helping them to
save travel costs in finding a department, avoid long queues and ensure secure record
keeping.
Programme 3: Rural Development
Strategic Objectives 3.1-3.4, as well as Risk Management:
Free WiFi deployments in rural areas immediately empowers citizens and assists
those that are most vulnerable in the ways described in the overview. Telecoms
infrastructure is a cornerstone of a foundation to address economic inequality, and
free WiFi is the most viable means of bringing Internet to rural areas.
Free WiFi stimulates local economic activity, allowing local entrepreneurs to sell goods
online. The World Bank estimates that for every 10% of broadband penetration there
is a 1, 28% increase in GDP. Furthermore, businesses are attracted to locations with
fast broadband speeds.
Distance learning programs can be accessed online, allowing learners to up-skill
without requiring geographic relocation and concomitant costs. Free WiFi allows the
unemployed to search and apply for jobs via online marketplaces such as Gumtree.
9 Department of Rural and Land Reform Strategic Plan 2015-2020. 2015:29. 11
Programme 4: Restitution
Strategic Objective 4.1, as well as Risk Management
The purpose of this programme is to settle land restitution claims under the Restitution
of Land Rights Act (1994) and provide settlement support to beneficiaries. Within the
risk management analysis, reputational risk linked to delays in settlement of claims
have been identified. The mitigation plan is to ensure statutory commission meetings
to be held with formal and widespread communication aim, including media as well as
release of quarterly statistics.10 By adding information on the RDLR’s website,
community members will be able to access the information by making use of free
WiFi. E-mailing is an effective way to send out newsletters and notices to inform
people of meetings and update them on any progress made.
Programme 5: Land Reform
Strategic Objectives 5.1-5.3, as well as Risk Management
As part of strategic objective 5.2, to provide comprehensive farm development
support, free WiFi will ensure the farmer has access to limitless information regarding
agriculture farming methods in order to start farming on a land, to grow their business
as a smallholder farmer and to transform the land they own. Other business skills such
as management, strategic planning, financial aspects, record keeping of stock and
other important skills that are necessary to start up farming will be available. The
department of Rural Development and Land Reform could also provide online training,
consultations via skype and any other assistance needed via the use of online
platforms.
Farmers can set up a network amongst themselves to support each other through
challenges such as floods, draughts and market related difficulties. This will assist
them in learning from one another by discussing their issues, giving advice, and most
importantly, learning from one another.
10 Department of Rural and Land Reform Strategic Plan 2015-2020. 2015:33. 12
Project Isizwe, a Non-Profit Organisation came up with an innovative solution to offer
free WiFi as a basic service which will allow for the Internet access embarked on by
the three spheres of government. Project Isizwe and its approach to facilitate the
establishment of Free Internet Zones is detailed in the accompanying information. A
partnership with Isizwe will result in increased levels of connectivity, affordable WiFi
and the envisaged outcomes of achieving the strategic goals of the Department of
Rural Development and Land Reform.
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