July 10, 2007
By JoNews Reporter
THE Office of the Chief Information Officer is "very much an information and systems environment", says the man himself. And it is one in which Patrick Mayaba feels completely at home.
A BSc graduate in computer science and mathematical statistics, Mayaba has 19 years professional experience in the field under his belt, making him perfect for this portfolio.
He is also not unfamiliar with the City management environment - prior to being appointed in July 2006 as the chief information officer (CIO) for the City of Johannesburg, he was the CIO for City Power.
"My background reflects my experiences in information technology, information management, business information strategy, and business and executive management," Mayaba confirms.
One of his dreams is to turn Johannesburg into a centre for software engineering by partnering the City with academia and the private sector. "I want to ensure that South Africa is staying in touch in terms of the quality of software development," he says. To date this aspect of information technology is still lacking in South Africa, he adds.
The paybacks will be huge for South Africa - and specifically for Johannesburg. Putting software development on a par with overseas industry models "will ensure that software development capacity is kept in the city instead of outsourced". And guaranteeing a best-practice software development model for the information technology industry will have a spin-off for the city economy.
"I would like the city to be a haven for investors by creating an environment in which it will be cheap to do business," Mayaba stresses. This means creating an information and communication technology environment that can compete with overseas markets in terms of broadband facilities and cost. To this end the Johannesburg Broadband Network Project has seen the light, and is already in tender phase.
Mayaba is no stranger to developing projects from infancy. He was a core member of the team that developed the Eskom Information Systems Programme Management Framework to manage all its information system projects. He has also served as an executive council member at the Computer Society of South Africa.
In the same vein, he is also actively involved with Gauteng Online, an internet access project for Gauteng schools which was initiated by the Gauteng education department and the national government. He has availed his office infrastructure and information technology experience to assist with the project, which aims to build a computer network open to all Gauteng schools to ensure quality education and the digital divide is bridged.
As far as the 2010 football World Cup is concerned, Mayaba feels strongly that a lasting legacy to the city should be left as far as its information technology highway is concerned. For Mayaba, this translates into putting in place a world class communication system for the city from which residents can reap benefits "before, during and after the World Cup".
"My office must make the World Cup a wow experience for visitors, and leave a legacy for residents."
Mayaba was born and bred in Soweto. He likes to spend his free time chopping and kicking in the karate studio. "I like the discipline and focus required in this sport," he says. And his natural inclination towards self-discipline may have contributed to his academic successes and climb up the corporate ladder.
With no money to study, he won a full scholarship from IBM, going on to get a distinction in mathematical statistics at the University of the North. Further study followed at Unisa, where he did his MBL degree. He again received a distinction, this time for his dissertation.
There is no doubt that he loves his environment and all that it entails. "Technology gets things done, it makes everything possible, it makes everything easy," he concludes.
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