So what's the plan, Stan?

SOUTH AFRICANS have come to expect that access to ICTs, lower telecoms costs and fast Internet for all is as likely to happen as President Jacob Zuma keeping it zipped up. However, it seems that now, more than ever, the absence of any solid ICT plans for the country is becoming increasingly noticeable.

Zuma's state of the nation address last week left many disappointed, while some of the more cynical among us took the "it was to be expected" view. The speech  erally low on any form of detail - mentioned ICT merely in passing.

While this in itself is not a great departure from what we're used to, it seems like a great opportunity missed by government to get onto the bandwagon and move things into the 21st century.

Let's face it, now more than ever is the country experiencing broadband developments, with the landing of undersea cables. The World Cup, later this year, has also ushered in some technological advancements that would normally not have been embraced by the country.

What about government's constant rhetoric about connecting schools, or providing e-government services? These did not even crack a nod from the man in charge, who perhaps is coming to realise that too many broken promises and failure to deliver can even make an African regime look bad.

Instead, Zuma gave us a whole bunch of regurgitated nothing. Regurgitating the same load of nothing that typified the state of the nation addresses of his predecessor. At least Thabo Mbeki used to drift off on tangents about rolling hills and a cracking thunder resonating across the African plain, as the African renaissance ran for cover... Sadly, Zuma is not half as poetic.

Uninspiringly, Zuma vowed to lower telecoms costs - promising reductions in broadband, cellphone, landline and public phone rates. Unfortunately, he saw no reason to elaborate. Perhaps he simply couldn't.

Yet again, industry observers commented that they've heard it all before, with some of the more cynical among us commenting that it is a positive that Zuma mentioned ICT at all, albeit as an afterthought.

Regardless, this is a big problem. Perhaps it shows that the South African government really has no clue about ICT and how to harness its might.

Perhaps JZ was just a little tired when he gave his speech - all those weddings and babies can really take it out of a guy.

Martin Czernowalow