Title: The Impact of The Digital Divide on
The Implementation of The Electronic Democracy: An African Scenario
Abstract: The advent
of the Internet, followed by the launch of a number of electronic democracy
initiatives, paved the way for communities to get involved in governmental
activities. A technological divide between the haves and the have nots proved
to be a major barrier in preventing disadvantaged communities in Africa from
getting constructively involved in this new form of government. Furthermore
low levels of education and literacy have kept Africans from reaping the
full benefits of these new technologies. Their inability to cope with the
English language has also hampered their empowerment. Despite some concerted
efforts to catch up on the technological backlog there are clear indications
that the utilization of the Internet by developing countries will depend
less on technological factors and more on their abilities to educate the
young and the illiterate.
Author: Abraham
G. van der Vyver