Thetha

In March 2003, the Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) introduced Thetha: The SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forum to assist South African civil society organisations (CSOs) in responding to various challenges and opportunities presented in their day-to-day work by information communication technologies (ICTs).

Thetha is a Nguni verb meaning talk, discuss, debate and share opinions/ideas.

Thetha forums provide an opportunity to both CSOs which are ICT-enabled, as well as those organisations which are considering introducing ICT solutions to their work, with an opportunity to discuss issues of common concern and learn from one another’s experiences. Since March 2003, SANGONeT has organised more than 20 Thethas throughout South Africa.

With the assistance of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and the Embassy of Finland (South Africa), SANGONeT expanded the Thetha project to five Southern African countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) in the period November 2005 - March 2007.

The first regional Thetha project contributed to increased awareness and understanding among CSOs in the respective countries about ICT policy and application issues relevant to their work, as well as national and regional development processes.

Based on SANGONeT’s experience during the past five years in implementing the Thetha project, and the specific outcomes of the first regional project, SANGONeT, OSISA and the Finnish Embassy agreed to expand the project to a further five Southern African countries.

Started in 2008, the Phase Two regional project includes a number of new features which will ultimately result in more tangible outcomes compared to the first project. From discussing general ICT issues relevant to the CSO sectors in the countries covered during the first regional Thetha project, the Phase Two project focus specifically on key issues that will inform the regional “ICT for Development (ICT4D)” process in the next ten years.

The objective is to develop a comprehensive understanding of regional ICT4D issues through in-country research processes, stakeholder consultations, discussions of these findings on a country level through Thetha forums, and comparing the respective country lessons and experiences to identify and assess common ICT trends and issues facing the Southern African region.

During the research and consultation process the project will draw on the collective expertise and knowledge of various people and institutions involved in shaping the role and contribution of ICTs in the Southern African region.

The overall goals of the project are to raise awareness and inform a wide range of national, regional and international stakeholders through Thetha forums about the expected ICT challenges and opportunities that will face the Southern African region in the next ten years, build their capacity to engage with these issues in an informed and strategic manner, and ultimately, in the post-project phase, inform local and regional ICT decision-making and development planning processes.

The five countries covered by the Phase Two project are Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.