Address by Minister of Communications, Nomvula Mokonyane during the Africa Communications Week Global Campaign held at the Southern Sun Hotel, Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape Province
Introduction:
Today, May 25th is Africa Day. It marks the founding in 1963 of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the organisation that supported the struggle for liberation of the continent of Africa. After 38 year of its existence the OAU evolved into the African Union (AU).
This is how critically important this day is for Africans and those in the diaspora. The OAU’s original mission was to bring freedom to African countries that were still under colonial rule in the 60s, defend their sovereignty, uphold human rights and restore the dignity of African people.
The African Union has grown to include the 55 nations of the African Continent, all of whom celebrate their own diverse culture and traditions as well as their shared vision on Africa Day.
We would all recall the embryonic stage of our armed struggle in South Africa wherein a young and feisty Nelson Mandela toured some of the recently liberated African states, then, to seek financial, logistical and military support.
Fast-forward to today, in 2018, more than fifty years later, South Africa, Africa and the rest of the world have dedicated this year to the 100 Years of Nelson Mandela’s birth. It is also in 2018 that we shall be celebrating the centenary of Mama Albertina Sisulu, a stalwart of the South African liberation struggle.
The celebration of our struggle icons, not only in South Africa, but throughout the rest of Africa is important to galvanise us into change agents that will help Africa to stand tall within the community of nations.
Such celebrations should not be an act of vanity, but should aim to highlight the legacy of struggle icons and revolutionaries like Kwame Nkuruma, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Amilcar Cabral, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Toivo ya Toivo and many others and encourage us to build the type of society that they worked so selflessly for.
Their lives still reverberate as the embodiment of solidarity, the quest for self-determination and unyielding commitment to the liberation of Africa and its people.
Thus the importance of understanding the meaning and symbolism of this day for us as Africans. For a long time our narratives were written from the perspective of other people and not ourselves.
It is therefore, against this backdrop that the discourse on Communications and Public Relations should be located.
Key markers in the discourse on communications:
In its classical form Communications is defined as the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other modes, such as television, telephone, cyber and satellite platforms.
Communications is essentially a collaborative process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas and feelings but also create and share meaning.
These include all means of symbolic or verbal communication (newspapers, mail, email, telephones, television, radio, etc.) that people and machines use to make contact and share information.
In public sector, many governments yearn to use communications as a means of connecting with the people to inform them about their plans and activities as well develop a shared vision on matters that impact on the lives of its citizenry.
In business, it is a key function of management. Simply put, there is no organization that can operate without communication between levels, departments and employees.
The big question that begs an answer is, are we as government doing enough to sell ourselves and position our country to attain competitive and comparative advantage based on all the success stories we can tell, yet do not tell.
As the saying goes, whoever controls communications, controls the minds of people.
Are we geared to deal with challenges and technological advances and innovation of the 4th Industrial Revolution? And how best can we utilize this phenomenon to the advancement of the country and ensure the mainstreaming of ideas from the young smart minds?
It is therefore, not surprising that the biggest drawback in the narrative about Africa by ourselves is how we have continued to shoot ourselves in the foot by simply regurgitating what the western media and its communications machinery are saying about us.
Has time not come for us as Africans to think anew about how we use communications to create narratives that support who we are and where we are going? But first we need to know where we are going and who we are.
As South Africa, we have to see our future as inextricably linked to the future of the rest of the continent. In this context that we need to read our shared vision of the National Development Plan 2030 into the African Union Agenda 2063.
The guiding vision for Agenda 2063 is derived from the African Union Vision of “ An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in international arena”
It is a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years. It builds on, and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development.
How the public relations and communications sector can help realise our national interests and priorities.
In South Africa the National Development Plan Vision 2030 is intended to serve as a compass which should help give us direction towards which we need to be going in creating the new South African nation. And this is an iterant process and not an event.
To achieve National Development Plan’s Vision 2030 requires efficient and effective communication from all sectors of society that helps meets the needs of our people.
The sector can play an instrumental role in rallying South Africans behind Vision 2030 and re-energizing our support and commitment of communities towards this shared vision.
While good progress has been made to create a truly united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society; Nation Building and Social Cohesion is an on-going process.
As Communicators and Public Relations practitioners we have an even greater part to play to ensure the narrative we collectively agreed on at the dawn of democracy is realised.
It is the responsibility of the sector to ensure citizens have access to information which is essential to the health of our democracy and the development of our country.
Communicators are at the centre of our endeavours to achieve an active citizenry as envisioned in the National Development Plan.
The centrality of public relations and communications industry in sharing the authentic South African narrative.
The sector plays an important part in reflecting the larger tapestry of life experiences, cultural uniqueness and diversity that defines our nation.
It can nurture and support our national objectives by helping us understand each other’s past, appreciate uniqueness and recognise similarities.
In honestly reflecting our society it can help us all realise that we all subscribe to the same basic set of values such as mutual respect, democracy, freedom, equality and justice.
The industry must work integrated manner in telling the good story of South Africa and how our nation’s programmes on job creation and social development are uplifting communities.
The manner in which the Public Relations specialists reflects key national issues and programmes should help inform the narrative of business and corporate South Africa.
The industry can assist in generating stories that contribute to our development and help South Africans to make better decisions or take advantages of various opportunities available in the country.
Playing a part as an industry by being a part of the “Thuma Mina – Send Me” campaign.
The “Thuma Mina-Send Me” campaign provides an opportunity for this particular sector to play a bigger role; get involved and help bring lasting change to our communities.
Let us join together to confront our challenges and accelerate progress in building a prosperous society. It begins with a realisation that everyone has a role in building the South Africa we want.
If thousands of people begin taking the same positive action, soon it will become the norm. In the spirit of “Thuma Mina – Send Me” we can all get involved and let our actions speak louder than words
Let us be the change we want to see. All can use the power of personal change to drive social change so that we get closer to the realising Vision 2030.
The role of public relations and communications within the greater economic integration of Africa.
The economic integration of Africa is opening up new and exciting opportunities for its people and businesses on the continent.
It is the job of Communicators to ensure information works to the benefit of our people. We must not allow a divide to emerge between those with access to information and those who have none.
We must ensure all Africans benefit from the information dividend. We live in a world where the importance of timely and accurate information has never been more valuable.
Access to information opens the doors of learning and knowledge to all, it creates the environment for our democracy to flourish and will ensure a vibrant and inclusive knowledge economy.
We believe that in bridging the information gap we will forge stronger ties and help draw more young people across the Continent into the productive sectors of the economy.
A professional and committed public relations and communications industry is good for our country.
Our nation needs committed, passionate communicators and public relations professionals who will work hard to move the country and economy forward.
What we say and do matters, the information we impart to our stakeholders and the public changes lives.
Let us promote a continuous dialogue on the range of pressing issues; such as safety, health, education, employment and rural development that our nation faces.
Let us provide platforms at every possible opportunity for ordinary citizens to make their voices heard.
As specialists in the science of communications we must find ways to speak to each and every South African in a language or medium they understand.
Dankie.
Ngiyabonga.
