Page 3 - EngineerIt May 2021

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Hands-off government, hands-on

industry: the road to better

partnerships

he current debacle about the Covid-19 vaccination performance computing and data processing centre
programme is a perfect example of how too much (HPCDPC) when we already have such a facility
Tgovernment hands-on and too little public-private successfully operating with the realms of the CSIR.
partnerships creates a situation that develops mistrust South Africa does not need a government-driven
amongst the population, fuelling the belief that government cloud and data infrastructure provider, nor another
is bound not to succeed at the expected level. regulator reporting to the minister.
An example of this is the fact that the number of people With the history of so many government-driven
over 60 years of age who have registered for the jab are enterprise failures, costing the country billions of
far below the number of citizens of that age group in South Rands, why do we want to continue on that path?
Africa. The other problem is that the entire vaccination South Africa now must take the high road
programme is too slow. driven by the private sector in partnership with
If we want our economy to gain a growth traction, Covid government.
19 vaccination should have been the priority, instead of Access to spectrum is another government-
scare mongering about the third wave. Yes, the mask made disaster. It is now over more than ten years in
policy, social distances and sanitising should continue to coming. While government held many consultation
be enforced until the country reaches that so-called herd meetings with the industry, the resulting policies
immunity stage. have up to now shown little relation to what the best
There is so much expertise and capacity available in the way ahead is. Like the WOAN, the Department of
South African private sector, and had they been engaged in Communication is hell bent on implementing it when
the process from the start, South Africa would today not be nowhere in the world has it been successfully and
at the bottom of list of the African vaccination campaign. profitably carried out.
Public-private partnership is a well proven concept. Government must learn an important lesson.
Government and the private sector must work together to Interfere less with the private sector and create
arrive at a sound policy - the private sector implements, public/private sector partnerships driven by the
and government becomes the body to keep the private private sector. Having said that, the private sector
sector honest. also must examine itself and put South Africa first.
It is mind boggling that Minister Abrahams wants to It is a given that if the country blossoms, industry
create a state digital infrastructure company (SDIC) to will pluck the fruits and competitiveness will drive
provide network connectivity. Her plans are that the SDIC continued growth.
will have access to the spare capacity of government-
funded ICT infrastructure of Eskom’s telecommunications, I welcome your opinion and feedback. Drop me an
SANRAL, Transnet, PRASA and SANREN. The email at hansv@nowmedia.co.za
model/strategy shall also take into consideration the
implementation of peering for all SITA networks to allow Hans van de Groenendaal
for interfacing with other relevant network services. And Editor, EngineerIT
to top all this, the minister wants to create a new high- 012 991 4662 / 082 781 631

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