By Andrea Naicker
This year marks 30 years of freedom in South Africa which provides an opportune moment for our nation to pause and reflect on our journey since the start of our democracy.
Over the years we have accelerated our democracy through our Constitution, national legislation, policies and programmes and various interventions that seek to uplift and empower citizens.
Today we can proudly say that South Africa is a significantly different country from the one we inherited from the apartheid state in 1994. Millions now have access to water, healthcare, education, housing, and many other basic services, which they did not have before 1994.
One of the basic services that many did not have access to was information which denied people of their right to be informed. Our democracy brought greater access to information that allows citizens to make informed decisions. Government has worked hard to share critical information far and wide through various communication products and platforms.
At the heart of our effort to respond to citizens’ information needs, is an evidence-based approach to communication to ensure we reach South Africans through a medium they can access and in a language they understand.
In building on our communication achievements, the GCIS is launching Citizens Connect, a 13 part programme that uses a combination of reality style television, re-enactments and in-studio discussions which bring to the fore the many societal issues that South Africans are grappling with.
Each episode begins with a case study depicting the lived experiences and social realities of South Africans and ends with solutions, interventions and support, and contact points for those experiencing similar challenges.
Through this platform we aim to provide citizens with practical solutions for the challenges they face and help confront issues affecting our communities which include community safety, cleaner cities, food security and digital literacy.
Importantly, the series sets out to foster dialogue between government and citizens on matters of national importance, contributing to a participatory democracy. This allows for the voices of ordinary citizens to be heard as we work towards bringing lasting positive change for our nation.
Citizens Connect includes in-depth engagement on government priorities such as Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), Anti-Corruption and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), which is government’s initiative to building a sustainable and inclusive economy.
Citizens Connect will unpack ongoing initiatives of the ERRP such as energy security, mass public employment programmes and wide-ranging job creation initiatives to draw in more South Africans into employment.
We are confident that the enhanced access to accurate, trustworthy and updated information from government will empower citizens to make informed decisions and be better equipped to participate in government’s various interventions.
Each episode of Citizens Connect will be aired on SABC 2 on Thursdays 8:30pm every week with repeats on Fridays at 12:00. They will also be available on the SABC Plus streaming platform and the GCIS YouTube channel (@GovernmentZA) on Fridays at 14:00. Snippets of programmes will also be found on GCIS social media channels and the GCIS website (https://www.gcis.gov.za/).
The first few episodes of the programme seek to address the social issue of GBVF in our country. The prevalence of this scourge is deeply concerning and requires everyone to work towards breaking the cycles of violence in our communities.
It will go a long way in helping shift mind sets through in-depth discussions with community members, activists, and government officials, and will also provide help where needed. There will be factual stories on the effects of GBVF and viewers will also hear inspirational stories from survivors who have broken their silence to overcome the abuse of their perpetrators.
Other topics to follow will include discussions on corruption, community safety, agriculture, technology, innovation and youth.
The various critical discussions and engagements through Citizens Connect enable the public to hold government accountable, which is reflective of a healthy democracy that we wish to take further.
Let us tune into Citizens Connect and be empowered by government’s programmes, interventions and actions as we strengthen our democracy, improve our nation and better the lives of all who live in our country.
Andrea Naicker is GCIS Assistant Director: Content Development
