15 May 2024

This year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) will be commemorated in Pandamatenga on May 17.

Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Mr Thulagano Segokgo is expected to officiate at the commemoration, which would be held under the theme: Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.

In an interview, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Mr Cecil Masiga said as part of the commemoration, gaps and needs in the village would be identified and stakeholders would donate , install computer labs and electronic gadgets with the aim of bridging the digital divide by empowering the society to fully embrace and understand the power of ICT for sustainable development.

“Our goal is to see people of Chobe harness and embrace the opportunities that accrue from hosting this day in order to cultivate local economic growth. This is a legacy that would ensure that even after the day people of Pandamatenga would utilise the resources at their disposal,” he said. He added that equipping Batswana with ICT tools was aligned with the Reset Agenda priority on digitalisation, which aimed to accelerate delivery of services, creating enabling environment for active involvement of private sector and society through utilisation of digital technologies.

“Digitalisation unlocks opportunities for individuals, communities, government and companies as it enables people to trade and transact anywhere at any time,” he said. Mr Masiga said Botswana had made strides to achieve a high income status by 2036 by investing in initiatives such as school connectivity and rolling out laptops to learners in secondary schools, free Internet connectivity in public places through SmartBots programme.

Meanwhile, WTISD is held annually to raise awareness and share information on how ICT can benefit societies and the economy. Ends