Nedorobo wa Tshitiriki tsha Vhembe, Vho-Tshitereke Matibe
Vho Nedorobo vha masipala yapo vha re fhano,
Thovhele na mahosi vho ri kandaho,
Vhathu vhothe vha re fhano,
Ndo imela mushuso wa Afurika Tshipembe, ndi khou vha lumelisa vhathu vhothe vha re fhano na vhane vha ngavha vha tshi khou talela kana u thetshelesa kha zwirathisi vhutambo hovhu vhu khou bvelelaho kha nwedzi wa vhuthogwa wa vhaswa.
On behalf of the government of the people, I convey the warmest greetings to all of you who have gathered here today and to the people of South Africa as a whole, wherever they are, on this important month in our calendar, National Youth Month.
We are gathered here today, during a month where our country will be observing the 38th Anniversary of the heroic actions of the youth of South Africa who faced the might of the apartheid forces from June 16th 1976 onwards.
Let us use this Month to actively encourage greater Social Cohesion and Nation Building, while also fostering African unity. South Africa is as an integral part of the African Continent. Together we can build a better South Africa and better Africa.
This National Youth Month, is a moment of thanksgiving dedicated to the young people of our country for the contribution they made to free South Africa from the tyranny of apartheid. Accordingly, for this Youth Month’s Izimbizo, the ANC led government has adopted a theme, “Youth Moving South Africa Forward”.
Fellow South Africans,
Vuwani - Vyeboom is a trailblazer as it is the first town to host the Department of Communication’s first Imbizo in Limpopo since the department’s establishment on the 1st April 2015, after the Gugulethu Imbizo on the 20th May 2015. The department’s theme for this year is, “New Department: New Possibilities”.
The department’s vision as guided by the National Development Plan, envisages an active citizenry that participates in the socioeconomic life of the country. It states that in “2030, South Africans will be more conscious of the things they have in common than of their differences, and that their lived experiences will progressively undermine and cut across the divisions of race, gender, disability, space and class”. It is our firm belief that this is achievable when government is at the centre of providing effective and efficient communication to support these aspirations.
The broadcasting digital migration programme remain a flagship of the department. Utilising our collective efforts and wisdom, we will do all we can to ensure that the migration process commence during the second quarter of this financial year.
Cabinet has approved that government will provide free set-top-boxes to the five million poor TV-owning households. This shift is a reflection of government’s commitment to ensure that digital migration happens within the shortest time possible.
The emergence of Digital Migration will improve TV coverage in Vuwani area and Vyeboom in particular.
The department will be launching a focused Public Awareness Campaign shortly. R22 million has been identified to enable the implementation of the broadcasting digital migration awareness campaign. Key messages have been developed. We will work with our local traditional leaders in implementing the digital migration awareness campaign. However, the department’s broadcasting digital migration public awareness team is here with us today to inform the community about BDM project.
We are hard at work to conclude and sign Bilateral Engagements with our six neighbouring countries namely, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland in order to minimise cross border radio frequency spectrum interference. I have completed this process and signed the Memorandums of Understanding (MoU’s) in Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland and on Wednesday I am visiting Mozambique together with the technical team.
We do these because we have prioritised South African communities alongside the borderline areas for the distribution of set-top-boxes in order to mitigate any potential frequency spectrum interferences.
We anticipate to expedite the rollout of Set-Top-Boxes, which will be locally manufactured, to be completed in the coming 18-24 months so that we can switch off analogue signal and begin to realise the benefits of digital dividend to allow for the rollout of Wireless Broadband Services. The progress on this programme so far marks another good story to tell.
As more people, especially children access digital content online, challenges arise. We have prioritised the development and adoption of the Online Content Regulations Policy. Consultations on this Policy are currently underway. The policy aims to create a framework in relation to online content distribution in the country. Once adopted the policy will bring about a comprehensive and fundamental transformation for online content regulation in the country. We call upon all interested parties to work with the Film and Publication Board to ensure that this policy is finalised in order to properly classify digital content and ensure that children are sufficiently protected from exposure to disturbing and harmful content.
During 2015 State of The Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma said: “Our youth is our future and their success fills us with immense pride.” In line with President Zuma’s emphasis on youth, we all have responsibility to protect and nature our youth.
State-owned companies are the delivery arms of the Department. We commit to ensure that all entities in our stable deliver value to the public as per the founding legislations.
There are six Entities that reports to the Department of Communications, namely:
1. Government Communication and Information System (GCIS);
2. South African Broadcasting Services (SABC);
3. Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ISACA);
4. Films and Publications Board (FPB);
5. Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA); and
6. Brand SA
The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is a primary department that provides information about government programmes and the services to the people. The GCIS continues to professionalise the communication system by building a reliable knowledge base and enhancing communication products. This year GCIS will intensify its training of communicators to strengthen strategic government communication in provincial and local government.
In growing the voice of government, GCIS produces a range of communication platforms and products that carry information on government programmes and projects that contribute to an informed citizenry which is a key requirement of the National Development Plan. These include the Media Landscape Book which monitors media transformation; the weekly electronic newsletter My District Today, which shares information from the coalface of service delivery to government, organised labour, business, civil society formations, faith groups and the media.
GCIS will produce 20.4 million copies of our flagship newspaper, Vuk’uzenzele and ensure that it is available in our parts of the country in all official languages. From 1 August 2015, Vuk’uzenzele will carry advertisements of positions in government. We have also launched a mobile application in this regard.
The GCIS has made significant strides in implementing development communication through direct, unmediated communication through the Izimbizo Programme of government. This work is premised on communication research which ensures that government messages reach the majority of South Africans.
We celebrate the fact that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is in a sound financial state and its management is now stable. Today SABC is able to pay its suppliers on time and has launched innovative TV channels, namely: SABC News Extended on the DSTV platform channel 404 and broadcasting in 151 African Countries and the entertainment channel, SABC ENCORE on the DSTV platform channel 156. These channels are a model of what the SABC will offer to its customers in the new digital environment. We say well done to the SABC!
We thank the Board and Management of the Corporation for turning the tide and we hope that it will grow from strength to strength.
I am also happy to inform this community that the SABC has issued its 9th Request for Proposals (RFP) Book on local content amounting to R600 million surpassing the previous one, which was over R100 million, making it the biggest RFP book issued by the SABC for local content to date.
We will continue to work towards strengthening the capacity of our Regulator to deliver on its mandate. Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has now streamlined its strategic goals to four from eight. This is a sign of a regulator which is focused on its mandate. The main focus of ICASA in this financial year amongst others, is to ensure that local content regulations are finalised and implementation of an efficient radio frequency spectrum management system is concluded.
ICASA is an important Entity that regulates Information and Communications technology (ICT) Industry in the interest of the public. It is through ICASA that network coverage and quality can improve in our communities. Individuals can lodge their respective complaints by writing to ICASA. ICASA Leadership is here with us to take any questions from the community and also to explain the process of lodging complaints.
Media Development and Diversity Agency is established to, amongst other things address the lack of access to the media by rural and historically disadvantaged communities and individuals. The MDDA will during this year prioritise clearing the backlog of projects that are either no longer in existence, or have struggled to account for their support and still require assistance. The MDDA will place emphasis on strengthening existing projects, while funding new projects.
Brand SA mandate is to brand the country locally and abroad. I have had discussions with the Board of Trustees of Brand SA to:
- focus its work on improving its domestic presence by implementing more initiatives domestically;
- develop and implement initiatives aimed at branding the country in the African Continent;
- develop a structured programme of engagement with the national, provincial and local spheres of government in order to ensure alignment and coherence of various initiatives; and
- brand the country abroad
During this financial year we will launch an annual Branding Summit for South Africa. The summit will bring together the three spheres of government, private sector and civil society under one roof with a view to agree on a broad programme of action on how to brand the country. We invite the communications industry of which most of them are here today to partner with us in this endeavour.
The FPB performs an important and critical function of regulating the production, possession and distribution of films, games and publications, including the protection of children against harmful online content. The money will be used amongst others to increase the entity’s visibility through the implementation of cyber safe outreach programme to protect children against harmful content.
Government knows about the challenges that face this area, that relates amongst others to roads, water infrastructure, roads, education, health and electricity.
The Cabinet has approved a National Youth Policy that seeks to address the main areas that must be the youth development agenda; economic participation and transformation; education, skills development and second chances; health including reproductive health care and anti-substance abuse; nation building and optimising the youth development machinery.
It is through these policy interventions that ANC led government is responding to the challenges posed by poverty, inequality and unemployment as most pronounced amongst the youth of our country.
Last year this ANC led government has indicated during the youth month that:
- “Rural Youth Hubs are being established, including in the 23 poorest districts in the country.”
- “The Expanded Public Works Programme, which provides temporary work opportunities for the unemployed – will ensure that 40% of people employed on these projects will be young people.”
- “The Industrial Development Corporation in partnership with the NYDA and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) have ring-fenced R2, 7 billion over the next five years for young people to take up opportunities in business.”
Lastly I would like to inform the community that in effort to bring government near to the people; we have two Parliamentary Constituency offices in Vuwani white house next to the Fire Station and the other one in Malamulele.
The Parliament Constituency Office (PCO) ensures government by the people as it creates a platform not only for participation but on which us as the representatives of the people, report back and explain Government decisions. We account to the people and therefore are guided by the people through mandate after the people in general and organs of people’s power in particular have been updated on current issues of governance, nation building and social cohesion.
Yesterday we have launched the Community Management Structure (CMC) at Vuwani PCO. CMC must ensure that Vuwani PCO is at the centre of community activities. All Local Economic Development matters and national projects to be launched locally should first be introduced and processed in the PCO. The CMC has the responsibility to advise on how such programmes would be most effective. Accordingly, the CMC should continuously analyse the socio-political terrain within Vuwani and the surrounding areas.
It is through this office that the community needs are collated and reported to the Parliament, Limpopo Provincial Legislature and the Local Municipality’s councils.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to conclude my discussion by committing a tennis court nets and rackets to benefit the health of the young people of Vuwani.
I thank you.
