Following the proclamation of the new Department of Communications Minister Muthambi appointed a National Communications Task Team (COMTASK) to advice her on how to tackle her new responsibility to integrate communications policy and practice across government. The task team is an informal body aimed at giving the minister advice on how to tackle her new responsibility.
It is composed of a wide range of professionals from the Communications and Information and communications technology (ICT) industries.
At its first conference held on the 11 and 12 July in Johannesburg Minister Muthambi said to the over 50 professional who responded to her invitation …‘’ You have each been chosen because of the sterling work you do in your professions in the branding, communications, marketing or ICT space. You have gained experience in various ways in the industry over the last twenty or more years.
Often we do not tap into the talent that our country has to offer for many inexplicable reasons. We have decided to make a departure from that approach by engaging you so that you can be honest with us about what we are getting right and what we are getting wrong in dealing with the question of information for the empowerment of our people.
The Minister gave the task team clear directive to be open minded about the advice they should give in helping government to shape this new department. She said to the team: ‘Ten years ago there was a review of how far we have come in implementing the COMTASK 2000 report. Are the recommendations of the COMTASK report still relevant today? While this meeting may not adequately answer these questions it must certainly take this into its long term agenda to objectively help us assess whether we have been abler to adequately live up to what we set ourselves to achieve since the formation of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
At the close of the meeting Minister Muthambi thanked the team for their time and gave them up to the end of the Month to give her the first report of their work including the terms of reference of how an Advisory body to her can be structured including its work through various subcommittees that will carry out various deliberations to shape advice to her in her responsibility.
The Ministry is disappointed that there are some including the DA that are trying to cast aspersions on the integrity of the team even before it completes its work. The Minister cast her net wide to invite people from all walks of life in South Africa with a contribution to make. Most accepted the invitation to serve. “To pick a few names out of over 50 professionals and declare the team Zuma supporters is both hypocritical and smacks of paranoia only meant to distract us from the important tasks ahead” Minister Muthambi said.
The Minister wants to express her appreciation to those who responded positively to her invitation to serve on this very important task team - these are men and women who have embraced playing their part to build a new society. She looks forward to receiving their report as soon as possible. The details of its recommendations will only be made public once such work has been shared with the Minister. The task team is expected to give the Minister its first report sometime next month.
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