Page 30 - Service Delivery Review

Gauteng E-Government Department

Gauteng Looks at R&D

to Reboot eGovernment

Services Offering

This edited address given at the ICT Indaba 2022,
newly appointed Member of the Executive Council
(MEC) for Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs, e-Government, Research & Development,
Mr. Mzikayifani (Mzi) Khumalo, outlined the
provincial Government’s plan to leverage the use
of technology to expand services to Gauteng
communities.

A shift in leadership and priorities
“The department aims to ensure that government
The Department of e-Government, unique in this services are within reach for citizens located in
country, has a track record of providing excellent ICT Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels.
services for the province of Gauteng. The province [However], we are not very sure about how our
has recently experienced a shift in leadership to interventions impact citizens and how or where our
ensure that service delivery is realised, particularly interventions should be implemented. Therefore,
in Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels. It is Research and Development is critical in determining
within this context that the mandate of the Department the right interventions, who should be the beneficiaries
of e-Government has been expanded to include of these interventions and when would be the most
Research and Development (R&D). The Department appropriate time for implementing,” said the MEC.
is tasked with ensuring that all government services
are digitised. Finding Smarter Ways

There are many tools essential for digitising Gauteng Premier, Mr Panyaza Lusufi, has
government services. One of them is the importance spoken about how crime rates have escalated to
of R&D. Whilst there has been some progress unmanageable levels in the province of Gauteng. For
concerning digitising government services, the this reason, the mandate of e-Government has been
department has been facing challenges with obtaining refined to include fighting crime through technology.
critical information on frontline service delivery This entails deploying cutting-edge technology to
needed for decision-making and community impact. enhance the garnering of crime intelligence. These
According to MEC Khumalo, the department must will be essential to combat crime and assist law
align its strategic focus to include R&D to address the enforcement personnel.
challenges faced by the province.

30 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15 • No. 2 of 2022/2023