The impact of digital divide on the democracy and government

The impact of the Digital Divide on the democracy and the government of South Africa.

Access to the telecommunications and through that information remains a development issue for South Africa and bridging the digital divide is an on-going challenge for the South African government. Changes in the economic landscape also contribute to the widening digital divide and shape the way people access information and communication. “with an estimated 4,590,00 South African internet users at the end of 2006, and a total of 378,00 broadband internet subscribers as of September 2008, the number of internet users has grown. But this number is still a drop in the ocean of 45 million people”. (Sally-jean Marishane, 2009).

e-democracy is a relatively new nation and remains somewhat fluid due to its fundamental relationship with technology and the internet, fields that are themselves ever-changing, and somewhat unpredictably so.” E-government is a critical aspect of e-democracy providing a foundation through open government and transparency initiatives towards a more informed, active citizenry” (Gordon Brown, 2009).

E-government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as wide area networks ,the internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. The impact or outcomes of e-government are as follows:

·         Better delivering of government service to citizens

·         Improved interactions with the business industry

·         Citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management.

The digital divide, or the digital split, is a social issue referring to the differing amount of information between those who have access to the internet and those who do not have access. The term became popular among concerned parties, such as scholars, policy makers and advocacy groups in the late 1990s. Broadly speaking the difference is not necessarily determined by the access to the internet, but by access to ICT (information and communications technologies) and to media that the different segments of society can use.

Just like any other countries, South Africa is also affected by the digital divide.in 1994 the new South Africa was born and great optimism and hope characterised the nation. Many people anticipated the new policies and firm measures of redness would contribute to the creation of more equitable and fair society that would enable South Africa to become a player in the global economy (czerneiwics, 2004). What makes South Africa interesting in terms of the digital divide is the country’s multi ethnic and multi lingual profile. According to the Trusler (2003) South Africa has to deal with a number of challenges before they can begin with initiatives for bridging the digital divide. Their challenges issues are as follows:

·         A high level of inequality

·         A weak ICT infrastructure particularly in rural areas

·         A lack of ICT readiness in the government

The digital divide is not indeed a clear single gap which divides a society into two groups. Researchers report that disadvantage can take such forms as lower promance computer, lower quality or high price connections, difficulty of obtaining technical assistance, and lower access to subscription based contents.

The lack of access to ICT deprives citizens of a chance to access information relevant to their development. Even the assumptions that making telecommunications devices available in semi-rural areas and rural areas contributes to increased universal access is erroneous. We need to go beyond the access equals-development scenario.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Cain Miller, C. (2008) ,how obama’s internet campaign changed politics. The New York times, November 7.

Hamilton, M. (2006), The role of libraries in bridging the digital divide, Academic information service, October 26.

Internet world statistics 2008: www.internetworldstats.com

South Africa -the Good news (2008) mobile internet users exceed pc users, 27 November. www.sagoodnews.co.za