A surprise proposal by a provincial official at the State IT Agency (Sita) for the appointment of a dedicated minister to consolidate ICT-related matters in government has sparked consternation. There is widespread agreement about the problems, but disagreement – and conspicuous silence – over likely solutions and the skills capacity to implement them.

The urgent call by Baldwin Ramasobane, general manager at Sita for the Limpopo province, to establish a government department that would focus on South Africa`s ICT needs, was prompted by difficulties over budget allocation for ICT projects that he felt were hindering service delivery.