Distinguished guests,
Fellow government communicators,
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is indeed my honour and privilege to have an opportunity to address the Professional Certificate in Government Communications and Marketing course.
This programme is very much in line with our own goals of communicating effectively with stakeholders and responding to their information needs.
I am confident that your new found skills and expertise will allow all of you to play a major role in moving South Africa forward.
Many of you may be pondering what the future holds considering the recent changes in the communication environment.
The newly established Department of Communications is responsible for overarching communication policy and strategy, information dissemination and publicity, as well as the branding of the country abroad. While the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS), drives and coordinated day to day communication issues and projects.
Under our umbrella there are several entities; including the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, the SA Broadcasting Corporation, GCIS, Brand SA and the Media Development and Diversity Agency.
Programme director,
In this room are many communicators who will assist in ensuring that all South Africans have easy access to government information. I think we would all agree that access to information and the social and economic benefit it brings is essential.
By empowering our countrymen and women with information they will be better placed to access the multitude of government services and interventions which are often underutilised. Unlocking this untapped potential resides in the communicators in this room, supported by public sector communicators at all levels of government.
Along with ensuring access to communication we also need to simplify our messages and communication so that they resonate with all South Africans.
Too many people in our nation are being left behind because they have no access to the vital information that could change their lives. A government communicator that participates in this course has a very important job to fulfil. We are not here in order to become marketing executives. We must remember that ours is a developmental agenda, which means that our job is to empower the people so that we all participate in developing our country and growing our economy.
This crucial task lies with us. We must do better; we must find new and creative ways to speak to each and every South African in a language or medium they understand. And we must ensure that our content truly empowers the people.
Friends,
I have no doubt that every person in this room has a strong opinion about the media in South Africa. When we attained our freedom in 1994 the media was unshackled from the crippling restrictions imposed by the apartheid government.
Today, the media operate in a society that protects and values freedom of speech and expression. The media are free to fulfil its vital oversight role and continue to shine a light on wrong doings and failings in society.
Government has always sought to partner with the media and other social stakeholders to the benefit of all in society. We also believe in a culture of mutual respect between government and the media which is essential if we are to maintain our robust and participatory democracy.
This entails finding creative and sustainable ways of working with the media to tell the full South African story. We need to encourage media to more accurately reflect on the challenges that government inherited in 1994, and the progress that has been made to correct the past imbalances. The damage of decades upon decades of repression and both social, and economic exclusion was never going to be addressed in only 21 years.
The status quo where the media simply report on the challenges and failings of government is not good enough. There is very little in-depth reporting and no soul searching which could reveal a fuller and less distorted picture of the context of our challenges.
I strongly believe that the media like every other sector of society are duty bound to contribute to building a better nation where all can prosper.
Colleagues,
It is our job as government communicators to find creative ways to engage the media as partners who will support and actively strive to improve our young democracy.
Going forward we need to explore and find creative ways in which communicators can strengthen participatory democracy in workplaces, schools, and in our communities.
I therefore challenge all of you to be the vanguard of this change. If we are to remain relevant we must be at the forefront of promoting a culture of dialogue and robust engagement across society.
Together we must ensure that public representatives are constantly in touch with the people. We must ensure that our principals listen to and respond speedily to people’s concerns and needs.
Friends,
This programme will arm you with the knowledge and skills to make a difference. I urge you to use the expertise you will gain in communicating government policies and programmes. This programme will teach you the importance of continuous two-way communications between government and citizen, and to interrogate public activities.
You will also learn about the power of new media and social media, and know better than most that these not only give rise to opportunities, but that they also bring new risks that require expert management.
We are confronted by a brave new world, social media and technology has enabled every citizen to tell a story.
Therefore government communicators dare not fall behind, for if we do we will cease to be relevant.
Programme director,
The communication space has never been more highly contested than it is today. Every sector and sphere of society is battling to make their voice heard.
Now more than ever government communicators must rise to the challenge and participate in the battle of ideas. Too often government’s voice is silent in the face of a relentless onslaught by the media, analysts, commentators and civil society.
This state of affairs needs to change. We can no longer be silent; the army of communicators I see before me here today are capable of turning this around and ensuring that government voice in the public discourse becomes more dominant. We have to be at the forefront if we are to prevail and ultimately set and drive the agenda.
Only by being at the forefront will we be able to increase the relevance of government communications. We dare not fail in this regard. We are duty bound to ensure that citizens are informed about government policies and programmes in order to improve their lives.
In closing,
We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by the past. In the past we were hampered by weak coordination and a lack of authority, however this has all changed. The Department of Communications, the GCIS and our umbrella entities are perfectly placed to lead and drive communication.
Together we can ensure that national and provincial departments and local government departments speak with one voice and move South Africa forward.
