ECA - CEA

Economic Commission for Africa

Commission économique pour l'Afrique

Report on a Workshop on National Information And Communication

Infrastructure (NICI) Strategy for Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia, 11-13 May 1998

Addis Ababa, February 1998

Introduction

1. Following the adoption of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) framework
by the 22nd meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers in May 1996 and the
Regional Internet Policy Workshop for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands
held in Zimbabwe in February 1998, the Government of the Republic of Namibia
decided to organize a national workshop for the development of a National
Information and Communication Strategy.

2. The main objective of the workshop was according to the Minister of Communication
and Broadcasting of Namibia“the implementation of the African Information Society
Initiative which is meant to take place at individual country level”.

3. The specific objective of the workshop was to:

- generate information required by the Namibian government to decide on a

course of action in order to develop the country's national information and
communication infrastructure; and
- promote the use of information for socio-economic development.

ECA Representation

4. The ECA Executive Secretary was represented at the workshop by the Regional
Advisor in Information and Communication Technology Policy who chaired the Panel on
“Infrastructure, Regulatory and Policy Issues” and participated in the Panel discussion on
“Developing a NICI for Namibia: the Way Forward”. The Regional Advisor was also a
member of the Recommendations Drafting Committee.

Workshop topics

5. AISI‟s four following themes were used for consideration, discussion and preparation
of a national strategy for Namibia:

- Institutional Framework
- Human Resources Development
- Infrastructure
- Infostructure

6. A copy of the AISI leaflet summarizing graphically the above four themes and copies
of the AISI brochure were made available to participants.

Panels and Workshops

7. The panels and workhsops were organized according to the following topics:

- Global trends in NICI development

- Legal, regulatory and policy issues
- Human resource capacity building

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 - The impact of social, economic, political, technological and environmental
factors on the development of Namibia in the next quarter of a century
- The implications for a NICI strategy and policy: the way forward
- The Year 2000

The programme of the workshop is in annex.

Recommendations to Government

8. After three days of exchange of ideas, the following recommendations were adopted
by the Workshop:

A. We, the delegates, comprising representatives from

- the Namibian public and private sectors, the media, academia and civil society,
- as well as international experts from Africa and abroad,
- and intergovernmental and international organisations active in the application of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for sustainable development in
Africa,

considering

- the increasing impact of technological convergence and globalisation on the social,

economic and spiritual well-being of citizens, and the prosperity of organisations, nations and
regions,

- the need and priority of industrialised and developing countries alike to craft and
implement strategies to build globally competitive knowledge-based societies,

- the historic opportunity which now exist for developing countries to benefit from new
and increasingly affordable ICTs to leapfrog in extending access to information and
communications facilities for their populations,

- the urgency in taking decisive steps to bridge the increasing social and economic gaps
between information rich and information poor countries and sectors of societies,

noting

- the progressive strides that have been made by the Government of the Republic of
Namibia during the past decade to:
- expand and modernise the national communications infrastructure,
- review and adapt the legislative, regulatory and policy framework
progressively in order to expand access and open up the market for information
and communication services,
- plan timeously for the implementation of ICT in government to enhance the
future effectiveness of public administration and government service delivery
throughout the country,

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 noting further

- the large disparities in access to opportunities and resources which still exist between
different parts of the population of Namibia,

- the long time required for the diffusion of technology based innovation,

- the intention of Government to embark on a strategic process to build an equitable,

sustainable and globally competitive knowledge-based society in Namibia, and

- the relevance of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) to Namibia and the
need to implement it at the national level,

commend

the Government for its foresight and leadership in calling together this workshop to
advise on the process and substance of a NICI strategy for Namibia,

record

the desire of the delegates from all sectors to support this worthy initiative,

recommend as follows:

B. Process

B.1. The purpose of these recommendations are not to provide a blue print for a Namibian
NICI strategy but to enable the Namibian government to initiate a process to exploit
the benefits of the information society.

B.2. The purpose of the process should be to build an equitable, sustainable and
internationally competitive information society in Namibia in the foreseeable future.

B.3. The process should be participative and transparent, involving all stakeholders under
the leadership of Government and should allow for experimentation and learning to
take place. A green paper/white paper process could be considered.

B.4. In view of the ongoing convergence of the telecommunications, media and IT sectors,
the process should be inclusive of these sectors. This may require a restructuring of
current sectoral, legal, regulatory and policy frameworks and institutions to allow
coherent and pro-active strategic management of this fast evolving field.

B.5. The NICI strategy process should be aligned with the national development planning
process to ensure that it will support national priorities.

B.6. Appropriate policy and strategy formulation, implementation and review mechanisms
should be established and adequately resourced. This may include a Cabinet
committee, and/or advisory board consisting of leaders from different sectors of
society, assisted by an interdepartmental task force and project teams.

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B.7. The process would require continuous awareness raising at all levels of society.

B.8. The NICI strategy and its component programmes and projects should be
communicated on an ongoing basis to the international community in order to forge
mutually beneficial partnerships

C. The institutional, policy, legislative and regulatory framework

C.1. The institutional framework refers to the roles of different stakeholder groups such as
government, the private sector, non-governmental and community-based
organisations, academia, civil society and the international community and the
institutions through which they interact and collaborate.

C.2. The policy, legislative and regulatory framework refers to the web of applicable
policies, laws, regulations and executing institutions and mechanisms that collectively
provide the framework for action by different participants in this field.

C.3. The role of government is to provide leadership in establishing and facilitating an

enabling and incentifying framework for the actions of other participants. This
framework should provide for a strong and independent regulator.

C.4. Policy should be directed at the effective utilisation of NICI to address inter alia the
following priorities:

- the development of the local market for ICT services and products;
- the development and protection of the local ICT industry;
- economic growth through value addition;
- the eradication over time of existing disparities in access to information and
opportunities between different sectors of society, notably rural communities;
- human resource capacity building.

C.5. Policy should reflect the impact of technology and globalisation on

- the protection of intellectual property rights and the licencing of information

products and services;
- the right of free access to information;
- the affordability and availability of information generated by the public sector;
- issues connected with the transborder flow of information.

C.6. The institutional, policy, legislative and regulatory framework, and the associated
institutions and mechanisms should be reviewed and adopted on an ongoing basis in
view of technological convergence and other factors. This is to ensure effective
decision making and action in the crucial first decade of the 21st century.

D. Technological infrastructure

D.1. Namibia has a relatively well developed telecommunications infrastructure. Plans are
in place for the expansion of infrastructure.
However, even under accelerated development of the infrastructure, universal service
will not be attainable in the short run. Innovative strategies to extend access will have

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 to be introduced. Namibia should consider a multi-level concept of universal access,
defining access needs at the individual, community and institutional (schools,
hospitals etc.) level.

D.2. Government should foster the spread and use of information infrastructure through the
introduction of appropriate incentives eg. tax-reforms, soft loans, etc.

D.3. One way of extending services to rural communities which is increasingly used
worldwide is the introduction of „telecentres‟ or multi-purpose community information
centres providing access to telephone, fax, internet and information services. These
telecentres should be adopted to the local context and could be developed and linked
to existing infrastructures such as schools, post-offices and community centres.

D.4 To foster the development of the sector, new forms of public/private partnerships and
relationships have to be established. Telecommunications reforms establishing
commercialisation (sometimes through some form of privatisation) under independent
regulation is only one way of organising the sector. Unfettered. competition in the
small market of Namibia may not be sustainable in the long run. Regulation should be
armed at ensuring sustainable performance of the sector.

D.5. Lack of capacity in managerial and technological areas, could apart from investment
in HRD, be addressed by fostering strategic partnerships with regional and
international institutions in the private as well as public sector. In the long run transfer
of knowledge and capacity has to be assured.

D.6. In the area of infrastructural development Namibia may be confronted with a lack of
economies of scale. Regional co-operation in testing, monitoring, standardisation,
procurement, adaptation and even in development of technology could strenghten
technological capacity in the Southern African region and be of considerable profit for
Namibia.

E. Information resources (content and applications)

E.1. In this area the major issue is, on the one hand to ensure affordable and easy access to
global information and on the other hand to assure the generation, utilisation and
commercialisation, where applicable, of local information and knowledge resources.

E.2. Government at all levels, as probably the largest generator and processor of local
information, should take the necessary steps to ensure the accessibility and
dissemination of government information which affect the daily lives of citizens.
Internet and Worldwide Web technologies as well as depositories of government
documents in geographically distributed centres, could be considered.

E.3. Sectoral applications such as tele-education, electronic government service delivery,

electronic commerce in support of SMMES and industry, tele-health, etc should be
prioritised according to national objectives and introduced as pilot projects. Such
projects should be monitored, assessed and reviewed on the basis of experience to
ensure sustainability and cost effective replicability.

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F. Human resource capacity building

F.1. Whereas technological infrastructure has traditionally been regarded as the most
critical component of the NICI, leaders and experts worldwide increasingly recognise
human resource capacity development as potentially the most crucial constraint in the
effective deployment of NICI to build sustainable information societies.

F.2 Therefore Namibian government should draw up a national education and training
programme in the iCT area on two levels: firstly on the level of Research & Development, to
be able to build up knowledge on how to create and implement effective local infrastructures
and technologies and relevant local content; secondly on the level of education and training to
empower Namibian citizens to make effective use of these ICTs.

Regarding the first level, government should consider building up "a network of
excellence", to mobilise national, regional and international research, development and
educational resources cost effectively in support of capacity development in Namibia. These
networks of excellence should use telematics to train ICT-trainers and execute collaborative
R+D programmes as well as monitoring, assess and evaluate projects.

- At the second level capacity development should be focused, the training and
information needs of different influencial groups eg. women, the youth, community leaders
especially rural communities, professional and technicals workers in the ICT industry,
professional workers in information intensive sectors, and policy makers.

F.3 Plans should be put in place to counter act the brain drain in the ICT sector which
effect most developing countries and to expand the skills pool by mobilising the support of
international organisations and experts.

G. Specific recommendations

G.1. Government should take the lead in devising and implementing a strategy to address
the year 2000 issue in a coherent way in conjunction with all stakeholders.

G.2. In order to provide the supporting infrastructure for human resource capacity building
(see par. 6) it should be considered to establish an “Information and Communication
Infrastructure Resource Network” in partnership with interested international
organisations. This resource network, based in Namibia at an appropriate institution
should use appropriate technologies to establish close links with relevant regional and
international resources.

The resource network would supply research, development, training, and pilot
implementation capacity in support of the NICI. The model used by Egypt could
provide guidelines for a suitable approach.

Conclusion

9. The Namibia national workshop could be considered as the first of its kind to be
organized in an African country for the implementation of AISI at the country level. It was
useful to Namibia and facilitated the gathering of Namibian professionals and decision
makers to exchange experience with foreign and international experts for the development of

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a National Information and Communication Strategy. The process of developing the strategy
has started and we hope that decision makers and professionals will take advantage of the
momentum created by the workshop to establish the mechanism necessary for the
establishment of an Information Society in Namibia.

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 Annex
List of participants

Name & Address Tel / Fax / e-mail

Mr Stephen Adei Tel 264-61-22 9083 / 200 1210

Resident Representative Fax 264-61-22 9084
United Nations Development Programme e-mail: stephen.adei@undp.org
Private Bag 13329
Windhoek
NAMIBIA

Professor Robert Agunga Tel 1-614-292 4624

Associate Professor, Department of Human & Community Fax 1-614-292 7007
Resource Development e-mail agunga.1@osu.edu
The Ohio State University
203 Agricultural Administration Building
2120 Fyffe Road
Columbus, OH 43210
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Hon. Mr Ben Amathila

Tel 264-61-222310 or 2839111
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Fax 264-61-222343
Government Building, 2nd Floot
e-mail: nammines@iwwn.com.na
Private Bag 13344
http://wwn.republicofnamibia.com/express.htm
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Jimmy Amupala Tel 2913137
NBC Fax 215276
e-mail: nbcho.iwwn.com.na
PO Box 321
Windhoek
Mr Mirjam Amuthenu Tel 2837342
Trade Promotion Officer Fax 256865
e-mail
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Private Bag 13340
Windhoek
Brendan Simbwaya Square

Mr Harry Aucamp Tel 264-61-220 336 or 2705111

GM, Multichoice Namibia Fax 264-61-270 5247 or 227605
Kenya House e-mail haucamp@na01.mck.co.za
Robert Mugabe Avenue
PO Box 2662
Windhoek
NAMIBIA

Hon. Helmut Angula Tel 2029111

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development Fax 229961 or 221733
e-mail
c/o Robert Mugabe and Peter Muller Street
Private Bag 13184

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Windhoek

Mr Barnie Barnes Tel 264-61-222666

Chairperson: Namibia Communications Commission Fax 264-61-222790
C/o NCC Secretariat e-mail:
First Floor, Computerland Building
Brandberg Street
Windhoek
Drs Robert Berloznik Tel 32 14 33 59 34
Project Manager Technology Assessment, Flemish Fax 32 14 32 11 85
Institute for Technological Research (VITO) e-mail berloznr@vito.be
Boeretang 200
Mol
BELGIUM

Prof Hannes Britz Tel 27 12 420 2962

Department of Information Science Fax 27 12 362 5181
University of Pretoria Email: britz@libarts.up.ac.za
Pretoria
0002 SOUTH AFRICA
Ms Emily Brown Tel. 264-61-2079111
Manager: Institutional Development Fax. 264-61-2072302
Polytechnic of Namibia e-mail:
Storchstrasse
Private Bag 13388
Windhoek
Mr John Barker
Q-Data Tel. 264-61-229211
Maerua Park, Centaurus Road Fax 264-61-235697
PO Box 9980 e-mail:
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Frans Burden
Information Systems Manager Tel. 264-61-2013114
NamPost Fax. 264-61-249832
PO Box 287 e-mail: fransbu@nampos.com.na
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Prof Dr Jean-Claude Burgelman Tel 32 2 629 24 14
Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication Fax 32 2 629 28 61
Department of Communications e-mail jcburgel@vub.ac.be
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Brussels
BELGIUM

Dr Derrick Cogburn Tel 27 12 841 2491

Director, CISDA Fax 27 12 841 3365
Africa Regional Director and Research Fellow, GIIC e-mail dcogburn@csir.co.za
Advisor, W K Kellogg Foundation
c/o CSIR
PO Box 395
Pretoria

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0001 SOUTH AFRICA
Mr Madryn Cosburn
Director, PC Centre Tel. 264-61-225665
Storch Haus, Storchstrasse 5 Fax. 220410
PO Box 21593 e-mail: madryn@apple.com.na
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Ms Marietha CronjŽ
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation Tel. 264-61-2913111
Computer Services Manager Fax. 264-61-2913325
PO Box 321 e-mail: nbcho@iwwn.com.na
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Pierre Dandjinou Tel 299 31 30 46/ 79
Programme Officer for Africa, SDNP/ UNDP Fax 299 31 57 86
c/o UNDP Cotonou e-mail sdnpaf@intnet.bj
BENIN

Mr Leit Danielsson Tel +4686571000

Senior Consultant Fax +4686571454
Deputy Managing Director
AF Swedish Management Group
PO Box 8133
10420, Stockholm, Sweden
Feminggatan 7, Stockholm
Mr Ruben Dart Tel. 270123071000
IBM South Africa e-mail: rubend@vmet.ibm.com.
To Rivonia
Road
JHB
Mr Hezekiel Dlamini Tel 254 2 622717
Computer Applications Officer, ROSTA Fax 254 2 215991
UNESCO e-mail hezekiel.dlamini@unesco.unon.org
PO Box 30592
Nairobi
KENYA

Ambassador Diana Lady Dougan Tel 1 202 775 3188

Chair, International Communications Studies Program Fax 1 202 775 0898
CSIS e-mail
1800 K Street NW
Suite 400
Washington DC 20006
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ms Effat El Shooky Tel

Executive Director Fax 202 341 2139
RITSEC e-mail eshooky@ritsec1.com.eg
11A Hassan Sabry Street
Zamalek
Cairo
EGYPT

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Mr Loefie Engelbrecht Tel 27 21 918 8469
Manager, New Business Development M-Web Fax 27 21 918 8380
Private Bag X14 e-mail cwengelbrecht@mweb.com
Tyger Valley
7536 SOUTH AFRICA
Tel. 264-61-2072256 or 2072275
Mr Laurent Everhard Fax. 264-61-2072261
Manager, Computer Studies e-mail: laurent@polytechnic.edu.na
Polytechnic of Namibia
Storchstrasse
Private Bag 13388
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Barry Fagan Tel. 264-61-229211
Manager Fax 264-61-235697
Q-Data e-mail:
Maerua Park
Centaurus Road
PO Box 9980
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Makane Faye Tel 251 1 511167
Regional Advisor Information and Communication Fax 251 1 510512 / 514416
Technology, UNECA e-mail: faye@un.org / tabara@telecom.net.et
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA

Dr Ben Fouche Tel 27 12 46 4484

Director, Ben Fouche & Associates Fax 27 12 46 4484
PO Box 11265 e-mail foucheb@mweb.co.za
Maroelana
Pretoria
0161 SOUTH AFRICA
Mr Nahum Gorelick Tel. 264-61-250477
Managing Director Fax. 264-61-25047
Internet World Wide Namibia (IWWN) e-mail: ngorelic@iwwn.com.na
Second Floor, Hidas Centre
Nelson Mandela Avenue
PO Box 11371
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Nicolas Gorjestani Tel 1 202 473 3343
Lead Knowledge Management Specialist Fax 1 202 477 2977
Knowledge Center, Africa Region e-mail ngorjestani@worldbank.org
The World Bank
1818 H Street NW
Washington, Dc 20433
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Chief Inspector Hophni Hamufungu Tel. 264-61-230410
Police Spokesperson Fax. 264-61-220621
Namibian Police e-mail:
Police Headquarters, Lazaret Street

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Private Bag 12024
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Ms Nangula Hamutenya Tel. 264-61-264044
Director: Public Service Information Technology Fax. 264-236426
Management e-mail:
Office of the Prime Minister
Brendan Simbwaye Square B, Goethe Street
Private Bag 13338
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr William Heuva Tel. 264-207911
Senior Lecturer Fax. 264-61-2072212
Polytechnic of Namibia e-mail:
13 Storchstrasse
Private Bag 13388
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Tobias Hipp
Director Tel. 264-61-254231 or 222171
NamInfo Fax. 264-61-228739
38 Barbett e-mail: namcomp@nam.lia.net
Street tobias@naminfo.com
Hochland Park
PO Box 659
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Joseph iita Tel. 264-61-2852111
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Resettlement Fax. 264-61-228240
and Rehabilitation e-mail:
Brendan Simbwaye Square A,
Private Bag 13343
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Andrew E Intamba Tel. 264-61-225942 or 217491
Director: Office of the President Fax. 264-61-264-61-228242
Private Bag 13339 e-mail: jiita@nam.lia.net
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
MsMagda Ismail
Tel 202-3551551
Assistant Manager of Info. Highway Unit Fax 202-3551716
IDSC e-mail magdam@idsc1.gov.eg
1 Maglo Shaab Str.
Kase El Eini
Garden City
Cairo, Egypt
Ms Geniene Jennings Tel. 0027-1-27113029212
Small & Medium Business Executive
IBM South Africa
To Rivonia
Road
Johannesburg, SA

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Mr Amr Kamel Tel 202-3391300
Project/Account Manager Fax 202-3412139
RITSEC e-mail: akamel@ritrecl.com.ej
11A Hassan Sabry Street
Zamalek
Cairo
EGYPT
Mr Justus Kapitango Tel. 264-61-2013064
Network Administrator Fax. 264-61-249832
NamPost, e-mail:infosys@nampost.com.na
Independence Avenue
PO Box 78
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Vitura Kavari Tel 264 61 2913111
[British Council sponsored delegate] Fax 264 61 215767
Senior Controller e-mail
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)
PO Box 321
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Prof. Geoffrey Kiangi Tel. 264-61-2063620
Department of Computing Fax. 264-61-2063791
University of Namibia e-mail: gkiangi@unam.na
Private Bag 13301
Windhoek
Mr Nolo Letele Tel 27 11 289 4011
GM - Sub-Sahara Africa Fax 27 11 789 7842
Multichoice Africa (Pty) Ltd e-mail: nletele@za01.mck.co.za
PO Box 3000
Cramerview
2060 SOUTH AFRICA
Mr Frank Lšhnert Tel. 264-61-2937111
Directorate Information Services Fax. 264-61-220278 or 254600
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Brendan Simbwaye Square
Private Bag 13340
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Ms Andrea Lohnert Tel. 224067 (w)
Senior Researcher e-mail: andrea.lohnert@hon.com.na
Bank of Namibia
Chateau Str. 36
PO Box 97023
Mr Johan Loubser Tel. 264-61-2934490
Senior Librarian, Ministry of Basic Education and Cultre Fax. 264-61-229808
National Library e-mails: postmstr@natlib,nec.gov.na
Peter Muller Street
Private Bag 13349
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr David Lush Tel. 236970
Freelance Journalist and Chairperson of the Journalist Fax. 233980

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Association of Namibia e-mail: shirumbu@iafrica.com.na
PO Box
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Mohamed Madhi Tel 27 12 427 8228
CEO, National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre Fax 27 12 427 8250
Private Bag X860 e-mail madhi@doc.org.za
Pretoria
0001 SOUTH AFRICA

Prof Charles Malan Tel 27 12 302 2144

Coordinator, SADECCON Fax 27 12 302 2149
Centre for Communication Research e-mail CWMalan@silwane.hsrc.ac.za
HSRC
Private Bag X41
Pretoria
0001 SOUTH AFRICA

Mr Ashiek Manie Tel 27 12 311 4697

Head, Information Highway and Governance Strategy, Fax 27 12 311 4205
Telkom SA Ltd e-mail maniea@Telkom.co.za
Private Bag X74
Pretoria
0001 SOUTH AFRICA

Eng Ven‰ncio Massingue Tel 258 1 307271

Vice-Rector, Administration and Resources Fax 258 1 307 272
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane e-mail vr-ar@iei.uem.mz
C P 257 e-mail venancio@bandla.uem.mz
Maputo
MOZAMBIQUE

Mr Hilfa Mbako Tel 264-61-235061

[British Council sponsored delegate] Fax 264-61-226017
Corporate Affairs Manager e-mail: debser@iafrica.com.na
Namdeb
PO Box 1906
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Prof. Kingo J. Mchombu Tel. 264-61-2066410
Department of Information and Communications Studies Fax. 264-61-20638060
University of Namibia e-mail: kmchombu@unam.na
Mandume Ndemufayo Road
Private Bag 13301
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Dr Henning Melber Tel. 264-61-228284
Director: Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit Fax. 264-61-231496
59 Bahnho Street, Windhoek e-mail: neprul@nam.lia.net
PO Box 40219
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Prof William Melody Tel 31 15 278 7475/ 2695
Chair: Economics of Infrastructures Fax 31 15 278 7925

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Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management e-mail w.h.melody@sepa.tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology RinekeW@sepa.tudelft.nl
PO Box 5015
2600 GA Delft
THE NETHERLANDS
Mr Dewald Meyer Tel. 264-61-232975
Manager Information Systems Tel. 264-61-248016
Ohlthaver & List and Namibia Breweries
Carl List Haus
Peter Muller Street
PO Box 16
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Peter Mietzner Tel. 264-61-224748
Managing Director, MieGer Communications Fax. 264-61-227707
Member Windhoek Show Society Atlas@nam.lia.net
Show Grounds, Jan Jonker Street
PO Box 1336
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Dr Stephen Mncube Tel 27 11 313 3303 (Lounette)
Manager, Development Information Business Unit Fax 27 11 318 1949
Development Bank of Southern Africa e-mail stephenm@dbsa.org
PO Box 1234
Halfway House
Midrand
1685 SOUTH AFRICA

Ms Renate Morgenstern Tel. 264-61-239042

Senior Librarian, Ministry of Basic Education and Culture Fax. 264-61-224277 or 228641
National Archives of Namibia e-mail: renatem@iafrica.com.na
Private Bag 13186
Windhoek
NAMIBIA

Ms Nehoya Mudhika Tel 2972911

Ministry of Trade & Industry Representative Fax 226049
e-mail
Brendan Simbwaye Square
Private Bag 13289

Tel 1 412 357 3097

Prof Stanford Mukasa
Fax 1 412 357 7845
Chairman, Department of Journalism
e-mail mukasa@grove.iup.edu
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
434 Davis Hall
Indiana PA 15705-1087
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Mr Peter MŸller Tel. 233679
Chairperson, Namibia Information Technology Association Fax.
PO Box 11513 e-mail: aaplm@iwwn.com.na
Windhoek
NAMIBIA

Dr Ben Mulongeni Tel. 264-61-291311

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Director General, Namibian Broadcasting Corporation Fax. 264-61-2913325
PO Box 321 e-mail nbcho@iwwn.com.na
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Muriuki Mureithi Tel 264-61-2842111
Director, Summit Strategies Fax 264-61-245160
PO Box 62454 e-mail summit@users.africaonline.co.ke
Nairobi
KENYA
Mr Sackey Namungonga Tel. 264-61-2842111
Chief Public and Media Liaison Officer Fax. 264-61-229936
SWABou Building e-mail:
Post Street Mall
Private Bag 13346
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Gotlieb Naruseb Tel. 264-61-2937111
Deputy Director Information Services Fax. 264-61-220278 or 254600
Ministry of Trade and Industry e-mail:
Brendan Simbwaye Square B, Goethe Street
Private Bag 13340
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Gert Nulens Tel 32 269 22413
Researcher, Studies on Media, Information and Fax 32 262 92861
Telecommunication e-mail gnulens@vub.ac.be
Free University Brussels
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Brussel
BELGIUM

Ms Nku Nyembezi-Heita Tel 264 61 233030

Manager Fax 264 61 234825
IBM Namibia e-mail ibm.namibia@za.ibm.com
PO Box 97017
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Holger Oberprieler Tel. 264-61-2012591
Telecom Namibia Fax. 264-61-235777
Manager: Strategic Planning e-mail: holgero@telecom.na
Luderitz Street
PO Box 297
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Olu Ogundipe
Information Science Consultant
PO Box 4553
Windhoek
11 Hawthm flats
Bach Street

Dr Joseph Okpaku Tel 1 914 636 6498

16
President, Telecom Africa Fax 1 914 632 2320
222 Forest Avenue e-mail okpaku@aol.com
New Rochelle
NY 10804
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ms H Kay Raseroka Tel 267 355 2620 / 355 2295

University of Botswana Library Fax 267 357291
University Librarian e-mail raseroka@noka.ub.bw
PB 00390,
Mobuu Drive Gaborone
BOTSWANA
Mr Herbert RŸke Tel. 264-61-2053911
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Fax. 264-61-224566
Brendan Simbwaye Square C e-mail:
Private Bag 13355
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Theo Schoeman Tel. 264-61-238320
Director: Computer Division Fax. 264-61-226930
Schoeman’s Office Equipment e-mail: theo@schoemans.com.na
Sam Nujoma Drive
PO Box 308
Windhoek
Hon. Mr Ignatius Shixwameni Tel. 264-61-222302
Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fax. 264-61-222343
Second Floor, Government Building e-mail:
Private Bag 13344
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr WillemShipingana
Tel. 232360
National Planning Commission Fax 239376
Private Bag 13356 e-mail
Windhoek
Sokolic Building

Ms Aune Shipanga Tel 2913111

Controller Television Fax 231881/0
e-mail
NBC
PO Box 22212
Windhoek
108 Bach Street
WHK West

Mr Dieter Steinbach Tel. 264-61-2902911

Manager Information Services Fax. 264-61-2902006
Windhoek e-mail:
Municipality
Independence Avenue
PO Box 59
Windhoek
NAMIBIA

17
Ms Helena Theron Tel 663 4954
SABINET Online Fax 663 3543
Portfolio Manager: Government Bussiness Unit e-mail helena@sabinet.co.za
PO Box 9785
1006 Lenchen Ave North
Outspan House
1st floor
Centurion
0046 SOUTH AFRICA

Mr Amon Uiseb Tel 2706137

Ministry of Higher Education Fax 253671
e-mail
Government Office Park
1st Floor
Room 141

Ms Selma-Penna Utonih Tel 2706111

Head of Science and Technology Division Fax 2706143
e-mail
Ministry of HEVTST
Private Bag 13391
Windhoek
Sekretar Str. 14
Hochland Park

Mr Leo van Audenhove Tel 32 2 629 24 15

Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication Fax 32 2 629 28 61
Free University Brussels e-mail lvaudenh@vub.ac.be
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Brussel
BELGIUM
Mr Marius van Breda Tel. 264-61-2012565
Telecom Namibia Fax. 264-61239412
Manager: Information Services e-mail: mariusvb@telecom.na
LŸderitz Street
Windhoek
PO Box297
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Alfred van Kent Tel. 264-61-2706141/2
Director: Research, Technology and Science Fax. 264-61-2706143
Ministry of Higher Education, Vocational Training and e-mail: DRST@iwwn.com.na
Science and Technology
Office Par
Private Bag 13391
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Mr Martin Venter Tel. 264-61-2913111
Controller Technical Services Fax. 264-61-2913325
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation e-mail: nbcho@iwwn.com.na
Norhtern Industrial Area
PO Box 321
Windhoek

18
NAMIBIA
Mr Jim Volkwyn Tel (011) 289 3235
CEO - Sub-Sahara Africa Fax (011) 789 1709
Multichoice Africa (Pty) Ltd e-mail jvolkwyn@za01.co.za
PO Box 1502
Randburg
2125 SOUTH AFRICA
Mr Nguno Wakolele Tel. 264-61-22312
Permanent Secretary Fax. 264-61-222343
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting e-mail:
Second Floor, Government Building
Private Bag 13344
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
Ms Kate Wild Tel +27 11 403 3952
Acting Director, Acacia Programme Fax (011) 403 1417
IDRC, Canada e-mail kwild@idrc.ca
IDRC Regional Office for Southern Africa
PO Box 477
Wits
2050 SOUTH AFRICA

Mr Keith Yeomans Tel +27 11 403 3316

Strategist, UK Information Communications and Fax +27 11 403 9530
Technology e-mail
c/o The British Council Johannesburg paula.middleton@bcjohannesburg.sprint.com
PO Box 30637
Braamfontein
2017 SOUTH AFRICA

Mr Ben van der Merwe Tel 264-61-2012566

Acting Managing Director Fax
e-mail
Telecom Namibia
PO Box 297
Windhoek
L†deritz Street

Mr Ruke Tjingaete Tel 264-61-2913111

NBC Fax 264-61-2913325
e-mail: nbcho@iwwn.com.na
PO Box 231
Windhoek

*
Ms Wilma Deetlefs Tel 264-61-22301
Deputy Director Fax 264-61-2301
e-mail: nammines
MIB: Media Liaison
Private Bag
*
Mr Ben van der Merwe Tel 264-61-20125
Acting Managing Director Fax
e-mail
Telecom Namibia

19
PO Box 297
Windhoek
L†deritz Street

20
Annex
OPENING STATEMENT BY
HON. BEN AMATHILA,
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING,
AT THE WORKSHOP ON A NATIONAL INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NAMIBIA,
CONFERENCE CENTRE, SAFARI HOTEL,
MONDAY, 11 MAY 1998

Honourable Ministers,
Honourable Members of the National Assembly and the National Council,
Your Excellencies,
Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all to this workshop and in particular I extend a warm
welcome to our experts from the region and beyond who have travelled long distances and sacrificed
their valuable time to be with us today. Your participation will certainly bring broader perspectives
and greater awareness to these issues that we will be discussing over the next three days. To the
Namibian participants, this is your workshop. Take the maximum benefit out of it. Your participation
is welcomed and I am sure that, while considering options and debating issues, national interest will be
foremost in your minds. This workshop gives us the opportunity to share the experience of other, to
note the pitfalls, and to devise ways and means of finding the best options for Namibia without having
to re-invent the wheel.
Of course, if Namibia was developed, we could have organised this workshop through Internet or
video conferencing and some of you would not have had to travel long distances to attend. We are
today taking the first step towards positioning Namibia strategically to enable us to confer through
cyberspace in the not too distant future.

We have a full programme, but I hope those of you who have traveled to be with us here in Windhoek,
will find some time to visit some of our unique tourist spots in and around Windhoek and take with
you pleasant memories of your Namibian experience back home.

Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, before getting down to business, to also thank all the sponsors who,
through their generous contributions, enabled the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to
organise and host this very important workshop. I am convinced that by the end of this workshop we
shall see results and that the road ahead would be charted for progressive follow-up action to enable
Namibia to enter the new millenium with the necessary confidence in pursuance of the challenges and
opportunities of the Year 2000 and beyond.

In today's world, information and communication have become increasingly important. Knowledge is
or should no longer be the domain of the few. Success in promoting democracy, human resource
development, socio-economic development, international cooperation, trade and commerce, require
access to information and our ability to use it effectively. The ongoing information and
communication revolution is leading to accelerated globalisation in economic and social activities.
This presents tremendous challenges and opportunities for industrialised and developing countries
alike.

Political and business leaders have come to realise that the ability to utilise knowledge effectively will
eventually determine the ability of individuals, companies, regions and nations to succeed in this
world of global competition. As a result countries and regions around the world are formulating and
implementing strategies to develop the technical and human resource capacities necessary for the
effective participation in the global information society.

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In this newly emerging technological environment, the need for empowering Africa has never been
greater and the challenges never more daunting. We need therefore, to respond to the new global and
regional socio-economic realities.

In Africa, and in most of the third world countries, information generation and transmission have been
at a rather low level for a number of reasons, for instance lack of a necessary communication
infrastructure and high illiteracy levels among the majority of the populations which is the legacy of
their colonial history.

As we are entering a new millenium old norms will necessarily no longer apply. It is already an
established fact that a nation's economic prosperity is linked to knowledge, information and access to
information. The information super-highways are already established in many parts of the world. If
Namibia, and Africa as a whole, does not take steps to embrace the new technological developments
promptly, the technology and information gap, and the gap in access to information will increase
disparities between developing and industrialised nations. We cannot afford this.

The Economic Commission for Africa took the initiative by adopting the resolution entitled "Building
Africa's Information Highway" in May 1995 to help Africa prepare to meet the new technological
challenges. As a result of this initiative, it appointed a high-level working group whose research
culminated in the adoption of the Implementation of the African Information Society Initiative at the
22nd meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers in May 1996.

The implementation of the African Information Society Initiative is meant to take place at individual
country level and our gathering here today is in pursuit of the above ECA resolution. It is hoped that
at the end of this workshop we will compile a report containing recommendations on the process
required to establish a national strategic framework and an implementation plan for the development
of a National Information and Communication Infrastructure in Namibia.

The success of this endeavour depends on the cooperation and participation of all stakeholders e.g.
government, the business community, academicians, and those operating in the fields of information
and communication, in fact, the Namibian society as a whole. It is, therefore, heartening that, apart
from our regional and international participants, this workshop has generated interest from different
groups within Namibia.

The objective of this workshop is to generate information required by the Namibian government
to decide on a course of action in order to develop the country's national information and
communication infrastructure, to further and to promote its utilisation for socio-economic
development. Several topics such as the current information and communication infrastructure
in Namibia, global trends in NICI development, legal, regulatory and policy issues, human
resource capacity building, the impact of social, economic, political, technological and
environmental factors on the development of Namibia in the next quarter of a century, the
implications for a NICI strategy and policy, the way forward, and the Year 2000 issues will be
discussed and debated over the next three days.

These discussions will enable us:

- to create a common understanding of the current situation regarding the NICI of
Namibia;
- to learn from the experiences of other countries in so far as it is applicable to the
situation in Namibia;
- to explore the possible impact of social, economic, political, environmental and
technological changes on the future of Namibia in order to identify a limited number of
focus areas for the NICI strategy and policy;
- to identify the issues which have to be incorporated in the legal and regulatory
framework of the country as a basis for NICI development;

22
- to understand the requirements for NICI skills and leadership development in
government, in business, non-governmental organisations, other stakeholders and the
youth;
- to explore current initiatives and future needs in respect of NICI development in crucial
areas such as government services, education, health, electronic commerce and
community information; and
- to identify the processes, success factors and pitfalls in developing and implementing a
NICI plan.

The benefits to be derived from embracing the new technologies are enormous. In Namibia, as in the
rest of Africa, we need to improve the quality of life of all our citizens, while economic integration in
the region and improved trade and other linkages with the global societies are necessary to accelerate
development in all spheres of economic and social activity. Neither Namibia nor any country,
developed or underdeveloped, can afford to be left behind in this fast developing information and
communication technology age.

The global information infrastructure, the process of making connectivity available to everyone on the
planet, opens up a multitude of possibilities. For example, in the field of education, the teacher does
no longer need to put learners under one roof in order for them to listen to his lecture and respond to
questions. Learners and students will be put in the position to study and do research by making use of
computers and multimedia networks. A teacher could be based in Windhoek, but be able to
simultaneously communicate to thousands of students in other towns throughout Namibia. Through
tele-teaching, students would be able to ask questions and receive answers.

A similar process could be cited in health where a patient in one country can have medical
consultations with a doctor in another country, or a patient in our rural areas can consult a specialist in
the capital. Tele-medicine enables medical practitioners to make diagnosis and give prescriptions
worldwide. In the field of agriculture, decision support systems available through cyberspace will
help to lessen the effects of drought, famine, man-made and natural disasters. Similar examples can be
mentioned regarding trade and commerce where transactions can be concluded worldwide through the
use of the new technologies.

This workshop also comes at a critical time when government is reappraising the size of government
and the civil service. The outcome of this workshop will thus enable government to take the necessary
measures to address the size of government and eliminate duplication.

The African Information Society Initiative identified four major components for developing and
improving the information and communication sector. These include:
- the institutional framework and legal, regulatory and management mechanisms;
- human resources development;
- information resources or infostructure; and
- technological resources or infrastructure.

With this in mind, it is of utmost importance that this workshop comes up with solutions and
recommendations to meet the above-mentioned components.

The development of the country's information and communication infrastructure is a process. It will
not happen overnight. Other issues will come up as we progress, but processes require time and
patience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are on the threshold of the 21st century. In less than 20 months we will be entering the Year 2000.
The new millenium poses its own problems that require our urgent and immediate attention. The Year

23
2000 computer problem is the single biggest challenge facing the Information Technology industry
since the first computer became operational 51 years ago. The problem seems to be deceptively
simple because it all revolves around computers not being able to distinguish between the years 1900
and 2000. Without

If the necessary adjustments are not made before the Year 2000, we face the possibility of computers
producing incorrect results or a complete shutdown of computer systems. The consequences will be
disastrous. For government alone it will inter alia result in cheques not being printed, orders not being
processed, payments not being calculated, and budgets not being produced. Is Namibia ready? It is
not good enough for one institution to be ready while the rest are not. The chaos, which will ensue,
will have a national impact. Unpreparedness to enter the next millenium may also result in costly and
time consuming legal wrangles, which may put our justice system under tremendous pressure.

Realising the urgency of the matter and in an attempt to raise national awareness concerning this
challenge, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting invited experts to address the workshop on
this burning issue. I trust that all of us will join hands during this workshop to come up with a unified
position on how to address this problem, the action to be taken and the financial resources required by
government, the business community and all other stakeholders to find a timely solution.

The consideration of a task force, best coordinated by government, will ensure that Namibia remain
united in tackling this challenge and to minimise the risk of becoming the dumping ground for
incompatible computers to the Year 2000.

The work we embark upon today is formidable. Experts predict that the consequences of the
information revolution will surpass the effects of the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century.
Namibia cannot afford to be left out of the information revolution. We have no choice but to position
ourselves well and to actively participate in it and take our rightful place amongst the community of
nations.

I now have the honour to declare this workshop officially open.

I thank you.

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