Joe Mjwara to chair ICT review panel

Lucky Masilela has been appointed as the deputy chairperson of the review panel.

Minister of Communications, Dina Pule, has appointed Joe Mjwara as the chairperson of the ICT Policy Review Panel.

Lucky Masilela has been appointed as the deputy chairperson of the review panel.

Pule also announced the appointment of the members as chairs of various committees. Libby Lloyd will head up the Broadcasting committee; Tracy Cohen was appointed to chair the Telecommunications committee while Angie Maseko will be chair of the Postal committee. The infrastructure committee will he chaired by Tshilidzi Marwala and the ecommerce committee will be headed by Sizwe Snail.

Pule requested the panel to work towards assisting the Department to come up with an ICT Policy White Paper by early next year.

The ICT Policy Review Panel is expected to make recommendations on appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks that support the growth and development of the country as well as implementation plans, options and time frames. The panel will also determine the potential impact of the reform options and their impact on the industry, consumers and the community and determine the principles that will underpin this new vision and policy framework. It is also expected to identify progress and constraints in ICT Research and Development, ICT skills development, investment in ICTs and ICT industrial growth contributions.

“We are mindful of the tight deadline that we need to work under. We are also mindful of the important result that the country expects from the process that has been initiated by the Minister. We shall work in a consensual manner as is possible. This is not a race for one idea to succeed,” said Mjwara.