Address by the Deputy Minister of Communications, Ms Pinky Kekana (MP) at the presentation of the Department of Communications Budget Vote 2018/19
Honourable House Chairperson,
Honourable Minister of Communications,
Honourable members,
Board and Executive Members of Entities of the DoC
Acting Director-General of the Department of Communications (DoC),
Acting Director-General of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS),
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen.
The month of May has significant importance in the history of the African Continent and her people as we celebrate Africa Month.
It is thus both a privilege and honour for me to deliver my maiden Budget Vote, during Africa Month which is being celebrated under the theme: “A year of Nelson Mandela - Building a Better Africa and a Better World”.
This year’s celebrations coincide with the centenary of the birth of our beloved first democratically elected President, Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu, an icon of our liberation struggle and a former member of this House.
This year, as we celebrate the lives and legacies of Madiba and Ma’Sisulu, all of us are called upon to recommit ourselves to building social cohesion and contribute to nation building. A call is also made to all who live on our continent to promote African unity, ensure deeper regional integration and recommit Africa to a common destiny.
Honourable Chairperson
Allow me to acknowledge Ms Moster Eunice Montshiwa and Ms Maponyane Maisha, for affording me the privilege of being my special guests today.
Ms Montshiwa and Ms Maisha are high school learners and thus carry with them the hopes of a brighter tomorrow for our nation. However, given such high levels of violence against women and children in our country, every day, the hope they carry for our country is threatened.
We would be remiss by not mentioning how deeply saddened we are, by the numerous cases of gender-based violence that continue to plague our beautiful nation.
Gender-based violence in all its forms has no place in our society and must be defeated.
Honourable Members
Part of our work in the Department of Communications is about laying a platform for communication to act as a unifying force.
Thus part of the mandate is to assist the process of building a united, more equitable and socially cohesive nation. As a nation we have more in common than that which divides us. Let us therefore continue to work together to build a united and prosperous South Africa.
Honourable Members
The Minister, has entrusted me to oversee the work of the Film and Publication Board and the Media Development and Diversity Agency.
These institutions play a vital role in giving true meaning to our mission of ensuring that ours is participatory democracy in which the people truly govern.
In this regard, this means that we are vested with the responsibility to ensure that our people have access to as diverse information and knowledge as exist in the world.
The mandate of the Film and Publication Board is derived from the Constitution of the Republic. It has the duty to protect the Rights of Children, as listed in section 28 of the Constitution against other fundamental rights, namely the rights to Freedom of Expression, Trade, Occupation and Profession, which often conflict with its own mandate and legislation.
Despite the well-intended role of regulating for the preservation of progressive values and norms, the FPB has encountered challenges, largely due to policy constraints.
In this regard, the Films and Publications Amendment Bill that is currently before the NCOP, will help to ensure that we have a workable policy framework in place for the effective regulation of online content.
For the financial year 2018/19 the FPB will focus on building capacity in technology and related skills development. This will enable it to deal with the shift by industry towards digital content distribution.
To improve the ease of doing business as instructed by the National Development Plan (NDP), the FPB successfully launched a first of its kind, Online Content Regulation (OCR) system in Africa. This system, allows distributors to submit content online for classification from anywhere around the globe. It is envisaged the OCR system will result in improved turn-around times and improved service delivery to FPB’s stakeholders. With this system, will also allow distributors to renew their licenses.
In an attempt to respond to the changes in the industry, the FPB has licensed five Online Content Distributors that will be self-regulating their content in the line with the FPB’s Classification Guidelines.
The guidelines are under review. In the 2018/19 we plan to conduct provincial public engagements on the draft revised classification guidelines. We urge members and all South Africans to participate and make inputs in order to better understand the considerations made when rating films and games you consume on various platforms.
The recent case of the film Inxeba “The Wound”, which had attracted huge public interest, exposed certain shortcomings in the current legislation as it stands. The conflict between culture, social norms and values on the one hand, and the rights to freedom of expression, artistic and commercial rights on the other, have been cast in the limelight, with the battle ending up in court. We await the outcome of the court process.
As part of its contribution towards fighting crime and corruption, creating jobs and improving education, the FPB been very active. -
As a way of example, in the last four (4) years the FPB in-conjunction with the Law Enforcement agencies conducted Sixty-Eight Thousand Five Hundred and Sixty-Four (68 564) raids and compliance inspections. A total of Three Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-Three (344 663) illegal DVDs and CDs were confiscated and destructed with a street value Three Million Four Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand Three Rands (R3 446 630) and market value Thirty-Four Million Four Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand Three Hundred Rands (R34 466 300).
The FPB has assisted the National Prosecuting Authority and the Law Enforcement Agencies to successfully convict child pornography perpetrators.
One of the programmes that the FPB is championing in 2018/19 the FPB will champion a programme to conscientise the youth about the dangers lurking in the online space. The FPB will foster an active involvement of youth in combating challenges they face (e.g. cyberbullying) by developing a Mobile App through a national Hackathon Competition. The Mobile App will be developed “By the Youth For the Youth” and extend the FPB’s reach to one that is accessible on smart devices
Public education has proven to be the most effective regulatory tool. Members of the public are enabled to make responsible viewing and gaming choices for themselves and children in their care. The FPB will continue to conduct public education and awareness campaigns targeting children, parents and the general public.
This move will ensure the FPB consolidates its national presence to reduce illegal material distribution and piracy elements in the sector through compliance monitoring. Expansion to these provinces will result in improved performance delivery, as these provinces are considered fast-developing regions.
Honourable members
Since 1994 the footprint of community media has grown significantly and has begun to emerge as an alternative voice to the mainstream media. We must therefore ensure community media remains true the objective of providing information to the may South African who ordinarily do not have access to the media.
Over the years, the community radio and print media sectors play an important role of being the training ground for the next generation of media practitioners and cultural workers.
However, as we have come to learn in the numerous interactions we have had with this sector, numerous challenges remain which poses a serious threat to the continued existence of these sectors.
These, among others, relate to ownership and uncompetitive behaviour by various mainstream media companies, red tape in government which impact on revenue generation and therefore the sustainability of community media platforms.
Therefore, the imperative for the MDDA to intensify its support for the community media sector can never overstated.
A Study into the Impact of the MDDA was commissioned and completed in December 2017. It concluded that the MDDA has been able to carry out different aspects of its mandate to a greater or lesser degree and that political parties, government and stakeholder groups saw the need to build a thriving community and small commercial sector.
Through its grant funding, the MDDA has channelled resources to the community and small commercial media sector and in this way, contributed towards the expansion of ownership and control as well as access of media to historically disadvantaged communities. This is evidenced in the burgeoning of both community and small commercial media, which is being published or broadcast in all indigenous languages.
Community radio audiences reach an impressive 25 per cent of South African audiences and community print media is read by about 25 million monthly readers.
Of the 275 community broadcasting stations, the MDDA funded just over half that is 156 radio stations out of a total of 275. With regard to the print sector, the MDDA has supported some 85 titles with either start- up capital or finances to strengthen pre-existing publications.
The MDDA has also supported four TV stations, however this media is expensive and the community TV sector is still in its infancy.
I am also extremely pleased that community radio and print now appears in a range of indigenous languages across all provinces and at local level.
During 2018/19, we will consolidate our support to the community radio stations. Accordingly, R30. 6. million has been allocated to support community radio stations with broadcasting equipment. We have also endeavour to allocate some amount to support them with the cost of signal distribution. We have seen last month when Sentech switched off 15 community radio stations from the network. We must ensure that this must never happen again by ensuring that there is a sustainable model to address this issue.
I would also like mention Sentech’s important role and support it provides to community radio stations and the Department of Communications’ Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) awareness campaigns. We also note its important work in promoting Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
As we have recently seen, Digital Audio Broadcasting, has enabled a digital mobile television platform DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) as well as a multimedia digital radio platform.
Indeed, the 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us!
Honourable Members
We are aware that many challenges still remain however, they are not insurmountable.
There can be no greater way of celebrating our icons, Nelson Mandela and Ma’Albertina Sisulu’s centenary than, in the spirit of business unusual, to put all hands on deck and fulfil the mandate handed to us by South Africans.
I assure you that the Department of Communications is up to the task of ensuring that communications and the dividend it brings, works to the benefit of all South Africans.
I therefore move for the support of this budget vote which will ensure that we continue to move South Africa forward.
I would like thank the staff at my department and reporting entities for their continued support and dedication. I would like to especially mention the former Acting-DG of the DoC, Mr Thabiso Thiti for his sterling stewardship of the department over the past months.
Lastly, I would like to extend a word of sincere gratitude to my family members who are here with me today, for their continued support. And also acknowledge my spiritual anchor, Reverend and Mrs Ramela from the Lutheran Church, who are also here today.
I thank you.
