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GOVERNMENT
No.GAZETTE,
23708
Act No. 25,2002
22002
AUGUST
ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS
AND
TRANSACTIONS ACT, 2002
(a) provide Internet connectivity to disadvantaged communities;
( b ) encourage the private sector to initiate schemes to provide universal access;
(c) foster the adoption and use of new technologies for attaining universal access;
and
(d) stimulate public awareness, understanding and acceptance
of thebenefits of 5
Internet connectivity and electronic transacting.
Previously disadvantaged personsand communities
7. The Minister, in developing the national e-strategy, must provide for ways
of
maximising the benefitsof electronic transactions to historically disadvantaged persons
and communities, including, but not limitedto10
(a) making facilities and infrastructure available or accessible to such persons and
communities to enable the marketing and sale of their goods or services by
way of electronic transactions;
(6) providing or securing support services for such facilities and infrastructure to
assist
with
the
efficient execution of electronic
transactions;
and
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(c) rendering assistance and advice to such persons and communities on ways to
adopt and utilise electronic transactionsefficiently.
Development of human resources
8. (1) The Minister, in developing the national e-strategy, must provide for ways of
promoting development of human resources set out inthis section within the context of 20
the government’s integrated human resource development strategies, having regard to
structures and programmes that have been established under existing laws.
(2) The Minister must consult with the Ministers of Labour and Education on existing
facilities,programmesandstructuresforeducation,trainingandhumanresource
development in the information technology sector relevant to the objects of this Act.
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(3) Subject to subsections (1) and (2), the Minister must promoteskills development
in the areas ofinformationtechnologyproductsandservices
in support of electronic
transactions;
businessstrategiesforSMMEsandotherbusinessestoutiliseelectronic
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transactions;
sectoral, regional, national, continental and international policy formulation
for electronic transactions;
project management on public and private sector implementation
of electronic
transactions;
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the management of the .za domain name space;
themanagement of the IP addresssystemfortheAfricancontinentin
consultation with other Africanstates;
convergence between communication technologies affecting electronic transactions;
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technology and business standards for electronic transactions;
educationonthenature,scope,impact,operation,useandbenefits
of
electronic transactions; and
any other matter relevantto electronic transactions.
SMMEs
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9. The Ministermust, in consultation with theMinister of TradeandIndustry,
evaluatetheadequacy
of anyexistingprocesses,programmesandinfrastructure
providing for theutilisation by SMMEs of electronic transactions and, pursuant to such
evaluation, may(a) establish or facilitate the establishment of electronic communication centres
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for SMMEs;