f. - UZSpace Home - University of Zululand

achievements in Nigeria, where there is an increase in fixed telephone lines
from 300,000 to 720,000, and a rise in mobile phone subscribers from
500,000 to 2.5 million over the last two years. Other examples, provided by
Mudhai, are: Egypt, which stresses the importance of the E-Africa
Connection project with NEPAD; and Mozambique's and Rwanda's Heads of
State, who reiterate that Africans have gone beyond the dilemma of
choosing between ICTs and other development priorities. Mozambique has
established a high-level multi-sector task force for ICTs, while Rwanda (a
landlocked country) has "an ambitious ICT programme" poised to make it
East Africa's technological hub, with broadband fibre-optic and wireless
access to all schools within three years. Equally encouraging is Botswana,
which is investing in lCTs as an imperative industry with the proposed US$
300million East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy). This cable
system's intended docking points are situated in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda,
Mozambique, Madagascar, Djibouti and South Africa. All these efforts are no
doubt a step in the right direction for Africans, as ICTs can and will provide a
new window for Africa to accelerate sustainable human development, which
would inherently benefit rural women.
1.2 Contextual setting
Varying definitions exist with regard to the phrase 'sustainable
development'. Meena (2006:1). for instance, defines sustainable
development as "a process which enhances peoples' capacity to create and
consume wealth on a lasting basis". The author further states that
"sustainable development requires a socio-economic, political and cultural
environment which enables people to engage in and sustain the
development process". Alternatively, authors such as Badri (2006: 2-4)
argue that sustainable development is not a holistic, indivisible concept, but
an amalgamation of seven main indicators, i.e.: social development,
economic development, environmental development, political development,
intellectual development, women's development and international
5
...