Question NW915 to the Deputy President

Reply:

Government has established the Presidential Commission on Fourth Industrial Revolution which has produced a report with proposals on the development of the country's overarching strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and made recommendations regarding the institutional frameworks, and roles of various sectors of society within the broader plan.

Amongst other things, the implementation plan which is monitored by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is focusing on the following Cluster-Based Programmes:

Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment & Infrastructure Development (ESIEID)

• Government Infrastructure Investment Smart Tender System: Digitisation of the tender process and adopt smart contracts (blockchain) to ensure transparency and public-private partnership initiatives to improve validation and verification.

• Advance public procurement model: In supporting 40% of all public procurement in South Africa being allocated to women-owned businesses, build an algorithm that will verify businesses and allocate government business accordingly.

Governance, State Capacity & Institutional Development (GSCID)

• Anti-fraud and corruption system: which will provide transparency in supply chain, and appointment of human resources. Develop and deploy mechanisms to be used to verify the processes; use blockchain to provide transparency and immutability.

• Public Sector Annual Performance Plan and Medium Term Strategic Framework system: Digitisation of the Annual Performance Plans for proper planning and ensure accountability on the MTSF. Develop a dashboard that will be used across the public administration to monitor performance and align the plans and projects to the NDP goals.

Social Protection, Community & Human Development (SPCHD)

• Advance the National Integrated Social Protection Information System (NISPIS): Integrate social development systems to ensure that the services are offered to the deserving beneficiaries, thorough verification, and validation is required. Align with the child protection act, where the sex offenders’ database is integrated with the NISPIS to ensure that children are not under the care of people in this database.
• Digital Identity: deploy the use of all features of the Smart ID, using convergent of technologies in institutions to safely and efficiently render services.

Justice, Crime Prevention & Security (JCPS)

• Use of vernacular languages in technologies: To promote and include the use of South African languages in economic activities. This will preserve local languages and allow vernacular communication with the global village.

• Establish a drone unit in the police force: For cost-effective surveillance, tracking and intelligence gathering. Drones are an alternative to using expensive helicopters.

• Digital court solutions: To improve the efficiency of court proceedings and secure data critical for prosecution.

International Cooperation, Trade & Security (ICTS)

• Digital visa integrated platforms to facilitate the movement of people in the continent.

• ACFTA integrated cross border systems for e-documents processing to facilitate the movement of goods, and to combat corruption in borders.

• Implement the application of satellite technology for remote sensing on ocean trade routes in combination with other platforms to ensure maritime safety and security, to fight piracy and improve harbours’ efficiency.

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