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Government team interacts with Lejweleputswa community to broaden access to government services
5 April 2005
Free State - The Minister of Communications, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, together with Minister of Home Affairs, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor, Provincial MECs for Health, Safety and Security, Housing and Local Government, Tourism and Economic Affairs and Education, Executive Mayor and Senior officials from National, Provincial and Local government will visit Virginia community, Lejweleputswa District as part of the Government’s National Imbizo Week programme.
During Imbizo, members of the public will be given an opportunity to raise issues, suggestions and make proposals on how, working together with the government, can build a country that truly belongs to all who live in it.
On the same occasion, government will launch Bokamoso Consortium project, operating as a B-Tel Under-Serviced Area Licences (USAL) as part of promoting access to information and communication technologies intended to bridge the digital divide.
The Consortium was recently granted a USAL by ICASA. The government through the Universal Service Fund granted the group an amount of R5 million to assist them with setting-up telecommunications infrastructure.
As part of bringing government services closer to the people, the Department of Home Affairs will at the same venue set up a Desk to encourage people to apply for Identity Documents, birth certificates and passports and any other Home Affairs services from 8:00 to 10:30.
Members of the public will also be urged to come and verify their details with the Department as part of the “lokisa ditokomane/lungisa izincwadi” campaign, a National Verification Campaign to clean up the National Population Register and to enable people to rectify the changes in their documents which have been wrongly recorded.
The following day (9 April 2005), the Minister of Communications will also hand over computers and printers to Viljoenskroon Library, Free State at 10:00. These computers have been made available through the Department of Communication’s Research Unit Fund as part of a broader strategy by DoC to increase usage of ICTs for social development in the country.
During the Imbizo the government seeks to enhance community and public participation and government response to development needs to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all.
All media is invited to attend.
Date: 8 March 2005
Venue: Meloding Stadium
Virginia, Lejweleputswa District, Free State Province
Time: 11:00
Further media enquiries can be directed to: Zodumo Mbuli
Cell: 084 777 2077
Tel: (012) 427 8100
Issued by: Ministry of Communications
5 April 2005