E Pahad: Government Communication and Information System Dept Budget
Vote 2007/08

15 May 2007

(Check against delivery)

Madame Speaker
Honourable Members

The core mandate of Government Communications is to meet the communication
and information needs of government and the public, such that communication
expands access to information and opportunities to enable the people of South
Africa to become active agents informing decision making.

Communicating to realise the People's Contract promotes the rule of law,
inclusive political processes, good governance, accountability and
transparency. It builds trust and an enabling political system that promotes
debate and citizen participation in informed decision-making. It encourages an
active and engaged citizenry, one that is well informed, knowledgeable,
politically literate and confident of asserting its right to equitable service
delivery.

It is important to stress the total context in which two-way communication
occurs, because communication is about what is said and what is heard and
interpreted as being said, it is contextual and is mediated by linguistic,
cultural, socio-economic and political processes. It is verbal and non-verbal,
it is gendered, it has cross-cultural implications and it can further or set
back social cohesion in a diverse society like ours. In this sense,
communication and the mediums through which communication occurs are intensely
political.

In South Africa, communication is not only or always through the mainstream
media. Certainly such media play a vital role in information and communication
flow. But the developmental state cannot rely solely on private mediums of
communication for information and to communicate directly with the people.

The government has the obligation to inform the people about what progress
has been made, and about the challenges the implementation of its mandate has
encountered. For these reasons among others, the developmental state in South
Africa pioneered a number of significant innovations to enable it to
communicate directly with the people – most notably the Izimbizo programme and
taking Parliament to the People.

The Imbizo remains an expression of true participatory democracy, it has
strengthened the partnership between government and the people, including local
and provincial stakeholders who have in many instances shared with government
their ideas on how best to address some of the barriers impeding service
delivery.

In the past thirteen years we have moved from a highly closed and structured
communication system where information was constructed and filtered and used to
negate and stymie democracy. Under apartheid the right to know was for all
intents and purposes non-existent. Information was disinformation, designed to
maintain repression and reproduce racism as an ideology and racial
discrimination as a system. Today we celebrate an open communication
system.

Communication to realise the People's Contract is not only about telling the
people what services are available to them, it is not about voluminous
information flow; it is about ensuring that the voiceless, the poor, the rural
marginalised, women, children and people with disabilities are given voice. We
must give voice to the powerless, providing the poor with the means to
participate in democracy in tangible ways.

Communication to realise the People's Contract requires active listening and
it binds government and citizens in a pact of mutual accountability where
political decision makers have to engage in a dialogue with, listen to and
respect the wisdom of all including the poor, and then to use the knowledge
gained to develop more informed public policy and thereby improve the
conditions of life of all.

This people-centred approach to government communication means that we need
to take a comprehensive approach. It requires respecting the constitutional
rights to freedom of speech and access to information; being creative in our
use of Information Communication Technologies; using multiple, varied and
diverse mediums of communication to reach our people and in particular to reach
women, people with disabilities, children and youth; to inform them and to hear
from them, and to foster their increased participation in all aspects of South
African life.

It is imperative for a young developmental state like ours to intensify open
and unmediated communication with our people. We need to communicate our
successes in improving the quality of life of our people, we need to ensure
that the citizenry know their rights, can access services and know what is
happening at the local level. In turn, the developmental state needs to hear
about the challenges the people face, about the blockages to service delivery,
so that it can make informed decisions about public policy and strategic state
intervention at the local level.

The stress is on direct, unfettered and unmediated communication. It is
imperative for the state to hear directly from the people for it derives its
legitimacy directly from the will of the people and because the People's
Contract continually has to be validated by interactions with the people.

The more the people speak directly to the state about their quality of life,
about conditions in their community, the more communication contributes to our
democracy, development, governance, peace and prosperity. What many call
'strategic communication', is the managing of communication to build public
understanding and trust between the developmental state and the citizenry. It
is a necessary and legitimate task of government, and this House should be in
no doubt about its importance.

But we must avoid the temptation to use communication to manipulate and to
deceive, and to hide that which is uncomfortable. We must avoid the excesses of
spin, which is communication that generates cynicism and increases public
distemper. We must promote democratic communication that is open, vital,
inclusive and reaches into all the corners of our country. In this endeavour we
must actively promote community based communication mediums – whether radio
stations, newspapers or localised government publications in plain language and
in Braille.

Good communication enhances the legitimacy and credibility of the state. So
the developmental state must strengthen all the mechanisms through which that
communication occurs.

The Government maintains that our development needs to be pro-poor, and
people-centred. This is the heart of the People's Contract. Government has a
responsibility to report on what progress it has or has not made with respect
to its 2014 promises of halving poverty and unemployment, its electoral
promises, its other national and international commitments to build a socially
cohesive, non-racist, non-sexist democratic and prosperous South Africa – to
ensure the progressive realisation of socio-economic rights, the Government
Programme of Action, the Millennium Development Goals, and the
soon-to-be-implemented African Peer Review Mechanism Programme of Action, which
despite media reports is going very well for South Africa. All of this requires
building a strong, comprehensive communications systems so as to have an
informed and politically literate citizenry ready and willing to engage in
debate about our national development objectives.

Government has adopted a multi-faceted approach to communication to ensure
that people in every sector of our society in all their varied conditions do
indeed in practical ways enjoy both access to information and the right to
information.

This requires a continuous effort to find ways to enable the public and
communities to access information for development, ensuring that such
information is in the language they prefer, in forms that are accessible and
through mediums that reach them.

It has required a continuous expansion of communication about access to
opportunities so that citizens can better their lives by participating in
government programmes designed to overcome the structural legacy of
marginalisation. In a society which requires the joint action of all of society
in practical action to undo the inequalities and divisions of the past, it has
required the building of partnership through a social compact with the people.
And where there is contestation of government policies and record - as there
will and should always be - it requires engagement so that the public, the
commentators and the media can make their judgments and conclusions on an
informed basis.

Today we can reflect on how far we have come in the realisation of the
People's Contract through communication, and we can say with pride that,
increasingly, our people are accessing information of all kinds from
government. However, our own research tells us that many of the marginalised
still do not have adequate access to regular information from government -
about those public and private sector programmes and initiatives which could
improve their conditions of life and living.

Much as we have an altered information and communication landscape, we must
acknowledge that our communication efforts can be improved.

I raise these points deliberately so that we can assess the extent to which
government, led by GCIS, needs to intensify its work of informing South
Africans so that they become an informed and empowered citizenry. It is against
this background that GCIS must strengthen its work to fulfil its commitment to
inform and to communicate on behalf of government.

GCIS needs to centre its efforts on equitable access to government
information to strengthen rights, improve service delivery and deliver on
national development imperatives, for this is the key challenge for government
in this Second Decade of Freedom.

The enhancement of existing diverse platforms to expand access to
information has continued in the past year with emphasis on reaching sectors of
society with the least access to mainstream media. The increased use of radio
has ensured a wider reach of information. Innovative products such as radio
dramas, photo stories and simple guides outlining Government's Programme of
Action need to be developed and distributed in all official languages. These
approaches will be sustained and strengthened during this year.

Local governments are also now committed to building partnership with the
public that enhance community participation, and local government
accountability and transparency through improved communication.

Amongst the new initiatives is the adaptation to radio of the TV series
Azishe Ke! produced and broadcast last year to expand access to information
about economic opportunities provided by second economy initiatives and
programmes. These episodes will go out on the public broadcast radio stations
in all languages, reinforcing workshops designed to disseminate the information
in a practical environment at community level.

Vuk'uzenzele, our popular magazine, continues to extend its reach into
second economy communities. It profiles real stories of people who have
initiated projects with government support. The demand and popularity of
Vuk'uzenzele, continues unabated and the print run will increase this year from
1,2 million to 1,5 million. I should add that as the Minister with special
responsibility for government's programmes concerning people with disabilities,
it has been especially rewarding to see the reaction of blind people to the
Braille edition of Vuk'uzenzele.

Critical to bringing information closer to where communities live is the
expansion of the infrastructure of accesses to information, in particular the
rollout of Thusong Service Centres - the new name for the multi-purpose
community centres (MPCCs)). Within weeks we will be celebrating the
operationalisation of the one hundredth Centre. But while we are on track to
meet our target of at least one Thusong Service Centre in every municipality by
2014, much more is needed to bring information closer to where people live. So
even where there are no formal Thusong Service Centres, GCIS is working with
other providers of information, ranging from police stations to council
offices, to establish Thusong Information Points– so far agreement has been
reached on over 500 such information points.

GCIS is also paying greater attention to improving quality of service.
Research has provided insight into the challenges at existing centres and this
will help ensure that the new centres address issues such as opening times and
the availability of all critical services to communities who need them.

We can expect GCIS to continue mobilising partnerships for communication and
action, intensifying its work through campaigns such as imbizo; mobilisation of
sectors in managing HIV and AIDS; co-ordination of second economy
communication; interventions within AsgiSA, 2010 FIFA World Cup communication.
Such partnerships and networks enable us to work together to speed up our
advance towards a better life for all.

Some of our most important communication partnerships have matured from GCIS
programmes or projects into institutions in their own right.

Through the Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA), government and
the big print and broadcast media houses have contributed to developing
pluralism and diversity in the media and the mediums of communication. This
will change the media landscape by bringing new resources and skills into the
small media sector. With a few years of experience already under its belt, the
MDDA has come to understand the need to make a difference to the conditions
under which projects operate, including creating regional media hubs and
developing larger-scale training and mentoring programmes. The passing of the
Electronic Communications Act brings the prospect of a considerable increase in
MDDA funding and a challenge of ensuring that its expansion benefits print as
much as broadcast media.

The transformation of the marketing, advertising and communication industry
is moving to a point where it has become institutionalised. The Transformation
Charter is now aligned to the Second-Phase Broad-based Black Economic
Empowerment Codes of Good Practice and we expect to see the establishment of
the Marketing, Advertising and Communication Transformation Charter Council by
the end of this year. And those involved in the process have worked together to
develop and introduce Best Practice Guidelines for the Procurement of
Advertising to facilitate participation by emerging BEE companies in government
contracts.

The partnership of GCIS, Unilever Foundation and the Mandela Rhodes
Foundation has established and funded the Academy in Government Communication
and Marketing, being taught at the University of Witwatersrand School of Public
& Development Management. It is now teaching its fourth intake of students,
raising the skills and professionalism of government communicators so that the
public is indeed better informed. Given the growing demand for this programme,
GCIS is currently engaged in discussions about the possibility of expanding
this initiative.

Madam Speaker, during the past year the International Marketing Council
(IMC) has been registered as a public entity, and has forged a close working
relationship with the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) which has resulted
in the hiring of a joint brand manager. The IMC worked with dti on a very
successful Mission to the United States. It also hosted 14 top editors from
major media from around the world who engaged Government and leading
communicators on news selection so as to create a more balanced picture of the
African continent.

The IMC has made progress in its mandate to engage with stakeholders and
other role-players to promote co-ordination and coherence in branding the
country. Brand integration and alignment to Brand South Africa is in the final
stages in Gauteng and Eastern Cape.

The emphasis of the IMC's work has decidedly shifted to the international
stage. In this regard it is most welcome that it extended its country brand
manager formula, initiated in Britain and the USA, to India. A brand equity
study first conducted in 2003 valued the South African Brand at R379,5 billion;
today it is valued at R516,6 billion – a direct result of the of the work done
by the IMC to elevate awareness of Brand South Africa.

Madam Speaker, communication in all these spheres to ensure a better
informed and empowered citizenry, communicating to achieve our national
development objectives in partnership with the people, civil society
organisations and the private sector, requires both vigorous political will and
increased resources.

Since GCIS was established the budget allocated to it has, thanks to the
support of the Portfolio Committee and Parliament, grown from R48,7 million (in
1998/99) to R294 580 million (2006/07). Today we are presenting a
budget of R375 812 million (2007/08) a further increase of 22% (excluding the
once-off allocations such as the contribution to the Non-Statutory Force
pensions).

If examined in detail it will be seen that this latest increase – like the
earlier ones – arises out of the expansion of operations by GCIS; the IMC and
the MDDA as they jointly work to implement the communication imperatives and
fulfil the commitments of democracy.

GCIS is able to report that, on average, 51% of its budget is spent on
personnel due to the upgrading of provincial offices. Its operational budget is
aligned to its priorities - 32% of GCIS's operational budget over the period
has been directed at the production and dissemination of information; 9,5% has
been allocated towards the research projects that enhance the quality of the
information and communication methods; 13% has been utilised for the running
cost of the Communication officers in the Regions; 39% has been allocated to
the administrative cost of the department; and the remaining 6,45% was reserved
for the maintenance of capital items.

With all these allocations, GCIS is happy to report that all the allocated
funds were fully utilised except for the 2005/06 fiscal year when it had to
roll over approximately R4m of the allocated budget reserved for the production
of the Government magazine.

In 2004/05 financial year GCIS recorded a total of R95 million worth of
media space bought on behalf of government, resulting in a saving of
approximately 12%. In the 2006/07 fiscal year GCIS purchased on behalf of
government a total of R115 million media space resulting in approximately 13,5%
saving due to the negotiated contract discount.

In addition, in the past two years GCIS through the economic cluster has
been able to negotiate joint projects that further empower the second economy
sector.

Each department in the Economic cluster contributed its R250 000 toward a
joint project of developing an information booklet which was to be distributed
to communities on how to access economic opportunities, as well as a 13 series
TV broadcast profiling the success stories of small development projects of
communities. GCIS contributed approximately R1 million to this project and was
able to lever a further R 5 million in resources from other Departments to fund
the project.

GCIS's internship programme continues to grow with fifty-five (55) interns
from different colleges placed at the GCIS, and 10 learners on a Marketing
Communications learnership programme. When the learners complete the programme
in June they will go to their different provinces and continue with their
practicum until December 2007. For this programme, the organisation budgeted
R903 000.00.

GCIS, the IMC, SA Tourism and the communication unit of the 2010 Local
Organising Committee are all working together to develop and implement a sound
2010 communication plan, and to co-ordinate all the 2010 communication
messages. We are fully confident that, despite what some sceptics may be
saying, South Africa will be ready and we will host the best World Cup
ever.

Honourable Members, what has been outlined is both an account of the use
GCIS made of the funds allocated last financial year and its priorities for
2007/08.

In conclusion let me say once more that our Government's communication
strategy must be one that is coherent and directed at the realisation of the
People's Contract, the realisation of our national development objectives, the
promotion of social cohesion and the empowerment of our people. The days of
one-way communication in SA are gone. There are fewer actions nobler than
giving voice to the voiceless.

I would like to thank Joel Netshitenzhe and Tony Trew for their dedication
and immense contribution to the work of government and for strengthening the
GCIS. Joel Netshitenzhe now designates all his time as the head of the Policy
Co-ordination and Advisory Services (PCAS) in the Presidency and Tony Trew will
be retiring from government service very soon.

I would also like to thank the GCIS staff and in particular Themba Maseko
and the senior management for their hard work. In addition I would like to
thank Yvonne Johnson, the CEO of the IMC, Wendy Luhabe, the Chairperson of the
IMC and the entire Board for their efforts. And I would like to thank Lumko
Mtimde, the CEO of the MDDA, Kanyi Mkonza, the Chairperson of the MDDA and the
Board and staff of the MDDA. Finally, I would like to thank the staff at all
the Thusong Centres for all their efforts at bringing government closer to the
people. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Portfolio Committee
on Communications for all their hard work.

Honourable members,

I take this opportunity to commend the GCIS budget to the House.

Thank You.

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
15 May 2007