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Meraka Institute marks Software Freedom Day
14 September 2005
The Meraka Institute’s Open Source Centre (OSC) participated in various national initiatives, co-ordinated by the Go Open Source campaign, to commemorate Software Freedom Day on Saturday 10 September 2005. Software Freedom Day, incepted in 2004, is celebrated annually throughout the world with the aim of promoting awareness on the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
The main national events took place at Canal Walk in Cape Town, The Zone shopping mall in Rosebank, the Funda Centre in Soweto and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban. Additional events were held in the Mogalakwena district (Limpopo province), the Innovation Hub, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Fish Hoek, Boksburg, Rhodes University, as well as the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
Meraka Institute OSC information technologist, Thotyelwa Mcongwane and project coordinator, Neo Maledu, attended the event at Wits, where they celebrated with an estimated 200 people, which included learners and students, the Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, civil society and other government representatives. Mcongwane was part of the event's organising team, comprising the Africa Linuxchix and the Go Open Source coalition.
Highlights of the day included a presentation by Minister Mangena titled, Advancing Science and Technology through Free and Open Source Software, a DVD-delivered message from Mark Shuttleworth and a play titled Imagine a Future without Linux.
Mcongwane and Maledu also assisted with installing Linux software in the labs and ensuring that exhibitors had enough space and appropriate equipment.
Kim Tucker, who heads the Meraka Institute’s OSC OpenMentor initiative, was at the Innovation Hub, where he gave a talk on Free Software and Free Knowledge. Various OSS experts also gave talks, shared their skills and assisted attendees to install Linux software on their computers free of charge.
Meraka Institute’s OSC manager, Nhlanhla Mabaso and Dr Ntsika Msimang, who is in charge of the Centre’s OpenProject initiative, attended the Funda Centre event in Diepkloof, Soweto. Jozi FM broadcasted live from the event, and both Mabaso and Msimang were interviewed on the station. OSS was made available to attendees and demonstrations to download the software also took place.
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