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Cape Town - Cellular operator Vodacom is negotiating a deal with the ministry of cooperative governance and traditional affairs to launch a mobile system for people to access government services on their phones.
Speaking to Fin24.com on Thursday from Belgium, the department's minister Sicelo Shiceka said the European Union would partially fund the project. The concept would be based on a similar system used in the EU.
"This is very exciting," Shiceka said. "In South Africa applying for documents like grants, marriage certificates or IDs take about three months and people have to visit a municipal office between 09:00 and 16:00.
"With this system it takes 90 seconds to do this business. You can do it 24 hours a day seven days a week." He said the system would be up and running within 14 months.
Vodacom's role will be to distribute cheap cellphones with which people can access government services, even in the most remote areas.
Shiceka said all councilors and ward committees must also be equipped with laptops, to help citizens access services. "We have started researching what systems each municipality in the country uses. All that is required is strong leadership to get this done," he said.
No official deal has yet been signed between the state and Vodacom. Shiceka said if other communication and ICT groups wanted to become involved, it would be "their right to do so".
- Fin24.com