Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane,
The MEC of Local government environmental affairs and development planning, Anton Bradell,
The Ward Councillor, Cllr Victor Mbubu,
Mr Jimmy Manyi, CEO of GCIS,
GCIS management and staff,
Ms Gugu Msibi, Chairman of the MDDA Board as well as MDDA Board, management and staff,
Our special guests: and leaders from various community structures: FBO, NGOs, CBOs, Business, etc.,
Members of the community,
Members of the media industry,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you all so much for honouring our invitation as Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) to be present at this budget vote outreach event.
There is a shared belief that the world has become more integrated and that the flow of and access to information throughout the world has become an important asset. It is therefore quiet imperative for the GCIS to raise the bar and indeed become the “The pulse of communication excellence in government’. Part of our mission is driving coherent messages and information about the programmes and policies of government.
Outreach events forms part of the GCIS Communication strategy to:
1. Scale up the number of communication platforms at the disposal of government to engage with all stakeholders
2. Strengthen even further the Public Participation Programme of government Principals whereby Ministers and Deputy Ministers and Members of Provincial Executives and local governments meet communities and stakeholders
3. Above all to reach all sectors and stakeholders of our diverse and united country. A special focus here was to share with you all the work of GCIS and to elevate the Thusong Programme as a platform for communities to manage their development through access to integrated service delivery.
The outreach event this afternoon forms part of approximately 50 outreach events in progress across GCIS offices to showcase the work of GCIS and to engage with relevant stakeholders on communication challenges and achievements. It also serves as one specific opportunity for you to engage with a Minister and Deputy Minister of Cabinet, The MEC and local political leaders.
This Government prides itself that in 2011 alone, over 2 000 Public Participation Programmes took place by elected representatives of all three spheres of Government and such direct engagement with you is a hallmark of this administration.
GCIS continues to strengthen provincial and local government communication by ensuring concrete communication initiatives for effective provincial and local government communication which includes intensification of face to face unmediated engagements with communities localising national content and profiling the beneficiaries of the programmes of Government.
This event is therefore testimony to our strong democracy whereas Government we are committed to have dialogue with leaders and communities about the work of government. Our vision is to reach directly (and of course in some cases indirectly) the widest spectrum of South African as possible.
As GCIS we are responsible for the Thusong Programme of Government and we therefore regard communication as service delivery. We seek to improve our communication practice and will therefore continue to have these kinds of sessions to ensure an effective implementation of our coordinated communications approach and strategy.
When we communicate effectively with our communities we will be able to address issues and concerns, therefore minimise service delivery protests.
I therefore would like you all to please make use of all platforms and products that GCIS is availing such as Vuk'uzenzele, Community media and the Information Resource Centres found in all the GCIS provincial offices.
Allow me to thank you all for availing yourselves in such big numbers to engage with us today on what the GCIS has in store for all of us as we work together to do more to build a responsive government. We particularly thank our Minister, and the Executive Mayors and members of Council for being part of this session.
You are all welcome, I thank you!
