By GIFT NDOLWANE ,JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE private and public sectors are prioritising technology and digitisation as an essential driver to accelerate progress on the National Development Plan (NDP).In the process, the stakeholders are enhancing socioeconomic transformation and empowering ordinary South Africans through connectivity and shared knowledge.
This has been the prevailing theme at the just-ended third annual Vision 2030 Summit that gathered some 300 decision makers from the private and public sector to map strategies about key contributors to alleviating poverty, inequality and joblessness in the country by the year 2030.Steven Wu, Chief Executive of sponsors, Huawei, said ICT should be a national priority strategy, with more investment and a supportive policy framework for ICT development.“We’d also like to see swifter progress on the realisation of significant projects like SA Connect and Safe Cities,” he added at the gathering east of Johannesburg.Other supporters were Aerosud, South African National Blood Services,Sentech and Tiger Brands, with a focus on agriculture and rural development, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and ICT. Meanwhile, delivering a thought-provoking keynote address, political stalwart, Dr Mathews Phosa, reflected on the Freedom Charter and honoured the late Oliver Tambo, the prominent pioneer of the liberation struggle.
He said South Africa deserved a recovery plan, developed and implemented under the watchful eyes and guidance of a trusted and virtuous leadership.He proposed a plan reflecting the dreams of those who formulated and penned the Freedom Charter of 1955.
“The National Development Plan must be strongly advanced as the inclusive recovery plan to change South Africa for the better,” Phosa said.Other keynote speakers were Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Dr Petrus De Kock and ex-Zimbabwe Deputy Prime Minister, Prof. Arthur Mutambara.
– CAJ News