IFIP GA Meeting
Natal, Brazil
September 2001

1. The Green Paper on e-Commerce

In November 2000 the Government published a Green Paper on e-Commerce.
The Green Paper, comments and replies, can be accessed at http://www.ecomm-debate.co.za 

2. E-Commerce Bill

Guided by the Green Paper on e-Commerce, an draft bill on Electronic Commerce has been drafted.
The Bill is presently still embargoed.

3. The Interception and Monitoring Bill

The Bill aims to regulate the interception and monitoring of certain communications.
More info at http://www.gov.za/documents/consultdoc.htm 

4. Document on e-Governance

This document is a Discussion Document on an e-Government Policy Framework.
The document is available at http://www.gov.za/reports/2001/it.pdf 

5. Report on Corporate Governance

A Draft report on Corporate Goverenance, the King 2 report, was published in July 2001. This reprot is 240 pages long. The interesting part of this report is that it contains a whole chapter on Information Technology, and the relation between IT and Corporate Governance.

More info on this report is available from iod@icon.co.za 

6. SABS ISO/IEC 17799

In April 2001, the present ISO 17799 Code of Practice for Information Security Management, was accepted by the South African Bureau of Standards as a national standard - SABS ISO/IEC 17799.

This makes the standard more acceptable in SA, and was well received by the local IT industry.

7. A Discussion Paper on Computer Crime

In April 2001 the SA Law Commission published a discussion paper on Computer Crime. 

Discussion Paper 99 (Project 108) Computer-related Crime:
Preliminary Proposals for Reform in Respect of Unauthorised Access to 
Computers, Unauthorised Modification of Computer Data and Software 
Applications and Related Procedural Aspects

This paper can be accessed at http://www.law.wits.ac.za/salc/discussn/discussn.html 

Some of these recommendations seem to be icluded in the e-Commerce Bill referred in 2 above.

8. ICDL

Our ICDL project has matured and is going very well with 20,000 log book sales reached in June this year. and internationally 1.3 million. It is now generating surpluses that can be ploughed back into the project and particularly into marketing to expand the market even more rapidly.

9. Professional Recognition

This is perhaps our biggest goal and one that we are constantly working on. The new membership system introduced last year is working well and enables professional membership status to be achieved by a combination of academic qualifications, accreditation and on the job experience. The system will be aligned with the new NQF standards once the government has defined these.

10. Computer Olympiad and IOI

These continue to operate very successfully with over 300 schools participating in this year’s Computer Olympiad, a little down on last year due to postal strikes and the timing of school holidays. In the IOI our South African team is performing better each year and gaining more medals. This year’s finals were in Finland and once again our team did well accumulating; 1 gold, Bruce Merry, UCT and ex Westerford School; 1 silver, Hendrick Du Toit, Paarl Boys High; 1 bronze, Jaco Kroon, Pretoria University ex Die Wilgers High. Our thanks are extended to Peter Waker and Old Mutual.

11 SAITIS

This is a project funded by the Canadian Government to help South Africa develop an IT Strategy. More info at http://www.saitis.co.za 

12. NQF and SGB

We have been working with the ISET SETA and the two government departments (Dept of Labour and Dept of Education) on the project for over two years. Progress is slow and involves many hours of detailed work and discussions. Levels 1 to 4 have now been gazetted. The ICDL modules are in line with the levels 1 to 4.

13. IISA

The IISA is operating and making it’s presence felt particularly in helping the industry to lobby government regarding the Telkom monopoly, high tariffs and limited band width. More info at http://www.saitis.co.za 

14. IT Mobile Project

In June last month we negotiated an agreement with the ISET SETA and the Gateway Discovery Trust to develop and build an IT Mobile. This is to take information, communications and electronics technology to the disadvantaged schools to help make pupils more aware of these technologies. The purpose being to stimulate interest in careers in these areas and to help pupils understand that they need good maths to get into these subjects at technikon and university. The ISET SETA is providing the initial funding for this project and is also providing funding for schools to provide additional maths lessons in the afternoons. This project also includes the development of a career guide for ICT. Companies will be invited to participate in this project by sponsoring exhibits. We have received sufficient funding to build at least two IT Mobiles and operate them for three years. If successful, we aim to provide these in every province.

14 General

Basie von Solms
CSSA GA Representative