South Africa Appointed 3rd Vice President of Bureau of African Union Specialised Technical Committee

23 November 2017

South Africa has been elected as the third Vice President of the Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and Information Communication Technology (ICT). A delegation from South African is participating at the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Communication and ICT (CICT). Deputy Minister of the Department of Communications Ms Tandi Mahambehlala and the Deputy Minister of Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services Ms Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams are leading leading the South African delegation.

The African Union Commission has invited the Government of South Africa as the member of the AU to the Extraordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Communication and ICT (CICT) taking place from 20 to 24 November 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main objectives of the CCICT sitting is to adopt strategies and Action Plans for projects and programmes implementation at the continental and regional levels for the Communication and ICT sectors.

The Committee on Communication and ICT (CCICT) has been established as one the fourteen committees set up to work in close collaboration with the various departments of the Commission (AUC) so as to provide well-informed inputs in their areas of specialization to the work of the Executive Council. The CCICT is also expected to monitor the Communications programme’s development and implementation by the AUC and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on behalf of the Executive Council.

One of the critical tools in achieving the Committee’s mandate i.e. the AU Communication and Advocacy Strategy and AU Branding Campaign,  aims to promote the AU and its Symbols at national and international level. The strategy looks at means to mobilise funding for the branding of AU events and communications campaigns. The AU is considering protocol to ensure that member States develop local content and community media. The Africa Union has also developed a convention to combat cybercrimes more states are encouraged to ratify this convention.

It is a great honour for South Africa to be elected in this critical position of the third Vice President and this dawns a new era for the advancement of the activities to be delivered by this sector in developing the information society in Africa. The country will continue to advance the AU Commission’s Agenda 2063 as well as continue with efforts to strengthen mechanisms and governance principles to ensure that the CCICT is effective”, Deputy Minister of Communications, Ms Tandi Mahambehlala said.

This election comes at a time when South Africa is Chairing SADC and will assume the Chair of BRICS in 2018.

Enquires:
Michael Currin
Tel:  +27 (0)82 462 7896

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)