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Sunday, 3.11.2024
Transforming Government since 2001

SZ: Swasiland / Swaziland

  • Swasiland: Health leaders converge to formulate e-Health policy

    Health leaders from across the Southern African Region have converged to formulate an e-Health policy for the kingdom.

    This was announced during the e-Health policy and strategy three-day Southern African regional workshop at the Ezulwini Sun Hotel.

    The ongoing workshop was attended by delegates from the Commonwealth Secretariat office in London and senior health officials from five countries, namely; Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Swaziland.

  • Swaziland Embassy in Washington Launches New Web Site

    The Embassy of the Kingdom of Swaziland in Washington, D.C., announced today the launch of its new web site. The site can be found at www.swazilandembassyus.com.

    "In the 21st century, information that is not readily available on the World Wide Web might simply not exist at all," said Ambassador Ephraim M. Hlophe. "With his eye on the future, His Majesty King Mswati III has directed all government agencies to utilize modern technology to the greatest extent possible. As part of this mandate to promote 'eGovernment,' we decided to provide a single, easy-to-find source for Americans -- and others -- seeking to learn about the Kingdom of Swaziland."

  • Swaziland has improved slightly in e-govt development rankings

    Swaziland’s placing in the World e-Government development ranking has slightly improved.

    According to the e-Government document, the country has experienced marginal growth in information and communication technology (ICT), which has seen its ranking improve by just one position.

    It states that Swaziland now occupies the 145th place at the lower end of the ranking though better placed than countries in Western Africa (Ghana ranked 147 to Niger at 183). The document says competition in the African telecommunications market was increasingly intense.

  • Swaziland launches e-Government

    The government of Swaziland is now user-friendly following the launch of e-Government which will enable people to make payments using credit and debit cards, APA learns here on Tuesday.Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini said government transactions would from now be processed from anywhere at any time without having to go to offices.

    This followed the introduction of the Point of Sales facility that allow debit and credit card usage when paying for government services.

  • Swaziland working towards developing e-government system

    SWAZILAND Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) acting Chief Executive Officer Muzikayise Dube says the country is working towards developing an e-government system through which the delivery of public services could be made more efficient and effective.

    He said the system would improve management and sharing of important information and would also facilitate business within the public as well as the private sector. Dube said Swaziland would work on this project alongside the Investor Roadmap 2012.

  • Swaziland: Crossing the digital divide

    Newspaper reports quoting E.Nathi Dlamini, the revered Managing Director of Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) saying: “Now we have begun to roll out of the Next Generation Network (NGN), a major project which, by the end of this year will elevate Swaziland shoulder to shoulder with the most advanced nations of the world”, were shocking to say the least but pleasant in some sense.

    Dr Peter Tomsu of Cisco Systems explains that the phrase Next Generation Network (NGN) describes an integrated, open network architecture that provides voice, data and multimedia services over the same network. He argues that integrated networking itself is not something specifically new citing Broadband ISDN, then ATM, and Multi Service Networks which all tried to deliver integrated service offerings.

  • Swaziland: e-education - People get ready

    With the advent of converged ICT services, major and exciting developments are taking place in every sector of society, not least in the arena of education and training. On the most part, these changes are driven by the changing character of society, new global partnerships and an awareness of the need for equal distribution of educational opportunities.

    Advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have dramatically changed the learning and teaching process, and have expanded new learning opportunities and access to educational resources beyond the domain of tradition.

  • Swaziland: SD needs to strengthen e-tourism

    Minister of Tourism, Environment and Communications Thandi Shongwe has decried the challenges facing the tourism sector, which are impacting negatively on economic growth.

    The minister said this sector could be doing more was e-government in use.

  • Swaziland: What of the ICT Policy?

    Some four years ago, the information communication technology (ICT) policy was launched with the hope of making ICT accessible to a broader community, even in the rural areas.

    The implementation of this policy is moving at a snail pace and communication is still driven in analogue vehicles suggesting that Swaziland will be pushed by failure of supplies to go digital.

    Like in all new innovations, this country does not participate in the initial projects undertaken by her neighbours thus making it expensive to join the bandwagon when the project is in motion/launched.

  • SZ: Govt working on effective record managing, archiving system

    Swaziland National Archives, a department under the ministry of information communications and technology (ICT) has embarked on a project of developing and implementing an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) in all registries across government.

    The project will be implemented in three phases with the first one involving conducting a needs and business analysis on the operations of the various government ministries and departments and the different stages at which records are generated, used and disposed or retired to the National Archives for preservation.

  • SZ: Govt, MTN launch m-Government services

    Government in partnership with Swazi MTN has introduced mobile based government services, dubbed m-Government.

    Through this service, citizens will use their mobile phones to access services. The programme started with the ministry of home affairs, health and the meteorology department under the ministry of tourism and environmental affairs.

    The m-Government service was launched at the Happy Valley Hotel yesterday morning.

  • SZ: ICT Minister, please read this!

    On Thursday, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Dumisani Ndlangamandla told the House of Assembly that he was not aware of any instrument stopping members of parliament from using state-owned media.

    This is despite that, in 2012, his ministry, under his predecessor Winnie Magagula, who is now minister of labour and social security, is the one that introduced the Public Service Announcement Guidelines that have been used to stop the MPs from using both radio and television to communicate with their constituencies.

    Addressing MPs, Ndlangamandla was quoted saying: “What is there to revoke because when I came into office there was no instrument stopping MPs from state-owned media.”

  • SZ: ICT ministry fails to meet digital migration deadline

    Despite a promise by the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on March 27, 2013, that the country would be doing a first test on the Mbabane-Manzini corridor for the digital terrestrial television migration from December 15 and that January 1, 2014 would be their switch on date, the ministry has agreed that they have failed to meet the date. The migration from analogue terrestrial television to digital terrestrial television will allow the national broadcaster to broadcast more than one channel, just like it happens in South Africa’s national broadcaster, SABC, which has many stations.

    The policy was presented by the then Minister of ICT Winnie Magagula to head of government Sibusiso Dlamini and other stakeholders at a dinner held at the Royal Swazi Spa. Conference

  • SZ: Internet exchange point launched in Mbabane

    The Mbabane Internet Exchange Point (MB-IX) was successfully launched on Thursday. The IXP was formally inaugurated by Dumisani Ndlangamandla, Minister of Information, Communications and Technology of the Kingdom of Swaziland and Moctar Yedaly, Head of Information Society Division, African Union Commission. Also present at the opening were Sikelela Dlamini, Principle Secretary, ministry of ICT, Andreas Dlamini, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy Research Engineer, ministry of ICT, Ralph Nkambule, Chairperson IXP Committee, Francis Dlamini, Telecom General Manager of SPTC and Michuki Mwangi, Senior Regional Development Manager for Africa, the Internet Society.

    It is envisioned that the IXP will serve as a catalyst for innovation and development of Internet services and applications in Swaziland.

  • SZ: Is Social Media a human right?

    The revolts that rocked the Middle East last spring proved the power of social media as a development tool, with protestors using networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to mobilise revolts against oppressive governments. Now, the youth of Africa's last absolute monarch hope to emulate their success-and the King is not happy.

    A student protest on Monday drew 1,000 people to Mbabane; the protestors expressed distrust in the Swazi government and economic system, demanding widespread access to democracy and education in the kingdom between South Africa and Mozambique. More protests organised by student labour unions are planned over the next few weeks.

  • SZ: Prime Minister launches refurbished government website

    Government has launched a refurbished website aiming at painting a brighter picture of the country to the outside world.

    The website will provide users with access to documentation, e-government transactions such as on-line permits, on-line applications and on-line payments.

    The Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini when officially launching the upgraded website at Sibane Hotel yesterday said, "We want the outside world to know about our government policies and programmes."

  • SZ: Taiwan injects E7m for various govt projects

    The Embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan has pumped in E7million (US$ 705 000) to three government ministries for various projects.

    E2million of the financial assistance goes to digital photo mapping of the country, E4million for procurement of computers for the police service and E1million for purchasing steel bunk beds and base sets for the police college.

    Speaking during the handover of the cheques, Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan Thomas Chen said the digital orthophoto mapping is very important as the current maps of Swaziland were last updated in 1999.

  • SZ: The E-Economy as a Catalyst for change

    The faster pace of technological change, for which the widespread use of ICT is a catalyst, is having a great impact on the structure and lifecycle of enterprises. Firstly, ICT reduces the economic impact of distance and the cost of access to information, thus increasing the scope for competition within markets.

    Secondly, ICT often tends to lower the cost of setting up small enterprises thus, potentially, providing for additional competition. Thirdly, ICT creates the opportunity for new co-operative means of product and service delivery potentially leading to improved quality and cost efficiency. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, ICT gives rise to many new products and services.

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