The Eastern Cape provincial executive council has withdrawn the provincial ICT strategy document after it came to light that large parts of it were copied word for word from a presentation in Australia.
CAPE TOWN – Disciplinary steps will be taken against Eastern Cape government officials who plagiarised a provincial ICT strategy document.
The provincial executive council has withdrawn the document after it came to light that large parts of the document were copied word for word from a presentation in Australia.
The ICT strategy document is almost identical to a foreign policy document which was drawn up for the Australian government in 2015.
Officials say the only parts that were changed were the implementation plan, projects, as well as locations for the roll-out.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane – who signed off on the document – ordered an investigation when he learnt of the plagiarism.
When the copying was confirmed, Mabuyane ordered that it be withdrawn from all provincial government institutions.
His spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, said a new strategy document would be developed for the province.
“It must look at the real needs of the province, the people of the province and our economy according to the provincial development plan.”
