NATIONAL SURVEY OF RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
ICT Minister Appoints STVA Board
The Honorable Minister of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT), Dumisani Ndlangamandla has appointed members of the Board of Directors of the Swaziland Television Authority. This is in exercise of powers conferred on him by Section 5 of the Swaziland Television Act, 1983 read in conjunction with Section 6 of the Public Enterprise Act no.8 of 1989. The board was unveiled in a conference held at the Ministry of ICT’s conference room on the 11th of November 2015. “The appointment is for a period not exceeding three years starting from the 1st of October 2015”, said the Minister.
The appointed members are as follows:
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Ms Nozizwe Mulela - Chairperson
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Prince Sicunusa Dlamini - Member
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Prince Msindazwe Dlamini - Member
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Mr Sipho Thokozani Dlamini - Member
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Mrs Turu Dube - Member
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Mrs Bongiwe Dlamini - Member
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Mr Bongani Austin Dlamini (STVA CEO) - Member
The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) continues to sensitize the public about the imminent digital migration process. This was evident recently when the Principal Secretary Mr. Sikelela Dlamini and his team, honoured an invitation from the University of Swaziland’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication headed by Dr. Maxwell Mthembu under the Faculty of Humanities. Dr. Mthembu stated that his Department was keen to know more about Digital Migration in order to equip students with new technologies and innovations through the Ministry of ICT.
Speaking to Faculty members and students, the Principal Secretary stated that the Digital Terrestrial Transmission expected to kick off in June this year would provide job opportunities for locals as there would be more television channels available to broadcast local content. He added that there was no need to panic because Swaziland was on track and had already started testing the set-top boxes. To prove that the Ministry was hard at work, Mr. Dlamini presented the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication with a brand new set top-box which Dr. Mthembu received on behalf of his Department.
Mr. Stan Motsa who is the Director of Communication in the Ministry also gave a brief about the origins of the Digital Migration process stating that in 2006 it was a collective agreement by all countries who were members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to switch from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. Mr. Motsa added that the roll-out of the digital network country wide was already at an advance stage.
The Minister of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT), Honorable Dumisani Ndlangamandla hosted the Ambassador of India, Honorable Pramod Kumar, on a tour of the Innovation Park at Phocweni on Thursday, January 29, 2015. The Innovation Park project is funded by the Indian through a US$20 million (E230m) loan from the Export and Import (Exim) Bank of India.
The tour 30 minute tour was concluded with a comprehensive presentation on the facility by Shubham Tomar, an official from Angelique International Limited, the main contractor. Tomar mentioned that the building will consist of a data center, call center, offices and a training centre, among others. “The training centre will produce highly skilled people who will be internationally certified by IBM and others. The training centre will complement local training institutions,” he explained.
The Principal Secretary, Sikelela Dlamini, said Angelique International had sub contracted a local contractor, Kukhanya Construction and had also engaged a local project management company, which improves beneficiation to Swaziland. The project is expected to be completed in September 2015.
The tour was also attended by senoir managemnt in the Ministry, including the Undersecretary Bhekithemba Gama, the Project Manager Vumile Dlamini and the Director of Science, Research, Technology and Innovation, Dr Rejoice Maseko.