When you think of the problems that plague South Africa’s government, you immediately think that the issue is a lack of information being passed around. Right? If that’s the case, the new pilot launch of MzansiXchange, “an initiative that will enable evidence-based policymaking and real-time data verification between departments”, should fix everything.
The pilot, launched in Pretoria last week and scheduled to operate for a year, will “test the MzansiXchange in real-world conditions, strengthening the foundations for a broader national rollout.” Rather than collecting data, the new platform is concerned with “enabling secure, structured, and coordinated data sharing across government,” according to the National Treasury’s Director General Dr. Duncan Pieterse.
Time for a MzansiXchange
“MzansiXchange is not a central data repository. It does not store any data. Instead, it acts as a secure bridge – a structured and governed exchange that allows departments to retain ownership of their data, while sharing their data with other authorised entities, when needed,” said Pieterse.
“This approach balances departmental data sovereignty with secure, cross-government data sharing through a structured and governed framework,” he added.
It might sound dreadfully boring, but most things to do with bureaucracy are. It’s the eventual outcomes that you should be keeping an eye on. Parts of the pilot program involve the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Social Services Agency (SASSA), and other government departments. These will focus on speeding up interactions via “data sharing for regulation, compliance, and verification.”
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This will very likely lead to the creation of a digital ID system, similar to what is currently being implemented (and resisted, from some corners) in the UK at present. Other objectives are better data sharing across departments “for evidence-based policy, planning, and research”, as well as operational analytics purposes.
“MzansiXchange is a national commitment to harnessing data for the public good. It is a platform for collaboration, innovation, and transformation. The success of MzansiXchange depends on how each of us commits to supporting and using it,” said Pieterse, suggesting that wide-scale buy-in is needed for the programme to work.
What isn’t addressed are the potential pitfalls of South Africa’s government sucking up vast amounts of data about its citizens and particularly with the creation of a digital ID system. Sure, you’ll be able to access government services more quickly, but these systems also allow for that access to be cut off if you perform actions your government doesn’t like. Like complaining a little too loudly online or trying to change one set of politicians for another one, perhaps? As dry as the MzansiXchange pilot seems now, it’s worth keeping an eye on, if only so you know how the folks in charge intend to treat those they ostensibly work for in the near future.
