Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation: Minister's Budget Vote Speech & Responses by ANC, DA and IFP
Briefing
09 May 2013
Minister of Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation , Mr Collins Chabane , gave his Budget Vote Speech on the 09 May 2013
________________________________________________________________________
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee
Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
Honourable Members
Honoured guests
Friends and comrades
Members of GCIS management and staff present
Members of the media present
Ladies and gentlemen.
The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) mandate was, since its establishment, to serve as the central communications agency of a relatively new democratic government leading the reconstruction and development of post-apartheid South Africa.
A government communication system that mobilises the nation behind the National Development Plan, showcases progress and invites South Africans to work together to address challenges is critical to the achievement of Vision 2030.
This is an organisation responsible for informing all citizens of our country about what government is doing for them and how they can participate in the governance and consolidating our democracy.
The GCIS has a responsibility to act in the interest of all South Africans, without discrimination and communicate effectively in all official languages and reach all communities in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. In its 15 years of existence GCIS has managed to reach millions of South Africans through different platforms which include publications, news media, radio, television and Izimbizo.
We are presenting this budget vote on the eve of the celebration of our 20 years of freedom. In this regard, GCIS will mobilise society and the country at large towards taking stock and celebrating what we have achieved as a nation in this 20 years. Government will also recount what this democratic government has done and continues to do to improve the lives of all South Africans.
Through GCIS, the country should recount the gains it has made, as confirmed by the results of the Census 2011 and government own monitoring, that a lot has been done and life in our country is changing for the better. They need to know that life expectancy has improved to 60 years of age since 2009. The RDP housing programme has built over three million housing units since 1994.
The percentage of households with access to potable water infrastructure has increased from 60 per cent in 1994 to over 95% per cent. Access to electricity has increased from 50 per cent of households to approximately 85 per cent.
Our people must also know that the percentage of Grade one learners who attended formal Grade R increased from 80% in 2009 to over 90% in 2012. There was also improvement in Grade 3 literacy from 48% of learners operating at minimum literacy level in 2009 to 52% in 2012. The textbook distribution for 2013 school year with grades four to six, has achieved national average of 98.7%.
Also in the area of health, the TB cure rate has increased from 63.4% in 2009 to 73.5% in 2012. Patient satisfaction measured through the Stats SA General Household Survey has also improved from 54% in 2009 to 62% in 2012.
Honourable Members,
A functional GCIS fulfilling its mandate properly should also be able to inform our nation that while we are making good progress, there are still challenges. There are a number of South Africans still awaiting delivery which has not reached them yet. We believe that an informed nation will have a better appreciation of the challenges we have and the work this government is doing to improve their lives.
As the GCIS, we are the first to say that a lot of good communication has taken place in the past 15 years and acknowledge that we have not been able to reach every South African as we should. As we enter 20 Years of Freedom, we must be able to enhance our communication and ensure that we reach every community and household through different mediums available at our disposal.
GCIS continues to enhance existing communication platforms and products, and initiate new ones to ensure that targeted audiences and communities receive relevant information through a variety of means. GCIS is also establishing partnerships with strategic stakeholders within the three spheres of government, and within the broader society, because we recognise that it is only through working together that we can indeed do more.
Honourable Members,
In this financial year, we will begin with a campaign to mobilise society towards consolidating our democracy in the context of the 20 years of freedom. Government, led by the Presidency, is conducting a review of our achievements for the past 20 years. These will form the narrative that government will use to focus the nation's attention on our achievements and to motivate South Africans to work together to do more and ensure that every South African receives the services which are due to them.
As we champion the ethos of Working Together across all sectors of our society, informed by research, we know that people prefer face-to-face or unmediated communication by government especially, at the local level.
Through the izimbizo programme, we have had information seminars led by political leadership and activations in shopping malls, sport facilities and at taxi ranks. This also enabled physical distribution of information to citizens.
Using a variety of platforms, just over 3 000 communication projects were implemented in the most remote corners of our country, reaching more than 23 million people.
The Thusong Service Centre programme was established by government to serve as information centres for communities. They later evolved, realising the service delivery gap, to become service delivery points close to where people live. They are there to promote cost-effective, integrated, efficient and sustainable service provision to serve the needs of citizens better. This programme has brought hope and relieve to our people. Last year, we expanded access to information and services for citizens, including the use of integrated mobile units where key service departments sign up people for services and provide information. Our mothers and grandmothers in urban, peri-urban areas are now able to register for social grants, apply for IDs and certificates through Home Affairs within their localities.
However, we are aware of the challenges facing this programme and that not all of them are fully functional. We have undertaken a process of review so we can identify the gaps and ensure that this essential service to our people serves its purpose. Our partnership with the Phelophepa health train of Transnet alone visited 24 train stations in 4 provinces and serviced around 380 000 beneficiaries.
In 2012/13, GCIS provincial and district offices supported national days and significant campaigns with activities that included the rollout of President Jacob Zuma’s Siyahlola Monitoring Visits; Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s War on Poverty drives, and Public Participation Programmes of Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers in over 2000 events.
We place special emphasis on supporting municipalities in their communication, with preference given to municipalities who are part of Local Government Turnaround Strategy.
GCIS does so to close the gap between municipalities and communities, which sometimes contributes to the factors behind unlawful protest in some communities. Honourable Members, we also have a mandate to ensure that government’s vision and policies are clearly understood in the public service. We coordinate an Internal Communicators’ Forum, to ensure coherence of messages across the various channels and outlets departments manage.
While we work closely and consistently with public media to disseminate information to as many South Africans as possible, we also recognise that the dissemination of government information is not the primary business of public media. Against this background, we are pleased that Vuk’uzenzele, a free national government newspaper, continues to gain traction among its target audience with a monthly circulation of 1,7 million.
Last financial year, we have also distributed 20, 4 million copies of the Vuk’uzenzele in deep rural, rural and peri-urban areas. Through effective distribution management practices, a performance metric of 99.6% has been sustained against an industry average of 98% Vuk'uzenzele is the only newspaper in the country available in Braille and all official languages. Citizens with access to internet access the newspaper through an online version, which is due for further enhancement and improved usability. The online edition attracted a remarkable
483 533 hits since April last year.
Honourable Members,
One of our flagships, the Government news agency formerly known as BuaNews, repositioned itself as SANews in the past year, to enhance branding of the agency’s identity and online searches. From one of the smallest newsrooms in the country, SAnews.gov.za produces hard news and human-interest features, carries loads of exciting pictures, video content on YouTube, and is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
The government news agency has become more popular with the public as opposed to the media and it will continue to be marketed to the broader public as a complement to South Africa’s rapidly diversifying news and information mix. Today the agency receives more than half a million hits per month from users domestically and internationally.
In securing a wider reach across the South African population we recently piloted a project to feed radio news bulletins live to community radio stations across the country.
To cater for the communication and information needs of the leadership corps in the Public Sector, we continue to publish its monthly Public Sector Manager (PSM) magazine, with 170 000 copies produced in 2012/13.
The magazine gave birth to a quarterly supplement, GovComms, which analyses communication trends in the public and private sectors for government communicators. 45 000 copies of this newsletter are produced each quarter. In the current financial year, number of magazines will be reduced to 144 000 copies with GovComms increased to 48 000 per annum.
Also in the past financial year, GCIS launched My District Today, a weekly electronic newsletter capturing progress at the coalface of service delivery in the five priority programme areas of government. Currently over 500 key stakeholders from within and outside government, including members of this house, receive this product.
Honourable Members,
In the online environment, GCIS also informs citizens, stakeholders and other interest groups through the SA Government Online and GCIS websites. The SA Government Online website serves as the official entry point to online government information. During 2012/13, the page views for the website increased by approximately 4,8 million, compared to 2011/12.
Social Media have evaporated the geographical boundaries within which society previously conducted itself. It has defined and broadened the scope of possibilities with regards to worldwide government communication. GCIS will continue to put government information in this space.
Honourable Members,
GCIS will in this financial year produce 45 000 copies of the South Africa Yearbook and 20 000 copies of the Pocket Guide to South Africa which is extensively used to market the country as a tourist destination. GCIS has continued to support the President’s State of the Nation Address campaign annually, and to support the National Orders.
The post-SoNA Ministerial media briefings, implemented by GCIS assisted in unpacking implementation of governments’ Programme of Action for 2013/14 and beyond. GCIS plans to implement Ministerial Cluster media briefings on a more regular basis throughout the year in providing up to date information to citizens through media.
GCIS continues to support the National Orders as they are integral to celebrating our heritage, fostering the acknowledgement of our country’s heroes and heroines and building our nation’s social identity, which is a key enabler in the National Development Plan.
Honourable Members,
GCIS has began to lead and drive communication between Government and the media led by the Cabinet Spokesperson and GCIS CEO to impact on the media and communication agenda. Through our Rapid Response system, government is working to set the media agenda, respond to issues in the communication environment and set the communication agenda in the interest of the public.
This is to ensure that Government asserts its voice and achievements in the battle of ideas in the media. It is also to ensure that it is proactive in communicating policies and programmes to diverse communities, using in particular, the SABC African Language Radio Stations (ALS) and community media.
The GCIS has also begun to ensure a steady and more frequent stream of government’s voice in mainstream media through weekly opinion pieces by the CEO of GCIS on current issues. In enhancing the effectiveness of the government-wide communication system, GCIS continues to assist departments to formulate and implement communication strategies and plans on major campaigns.
These campaigns include the London 2012 Olympics, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Conference, Census 2011, National Population Register, Worlds Aids Day, Remission of Sentence and World Economic Forum.
GCIS also provided communication support and contributed to the communication success of South Africa’s hosting of mega events such as the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit and the Orange Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Honourable Members,
GCIS is tasked with communicating the work of government through implementing cost-effective media bulk buying in newspapers, radio, television, outdoor and digital media, through relevant advertising messaging.
Equally importantly, GCIS works to capture dynamic archives of South Africa’s history. A culture of strategic media bulk buying is gaining momentum, and progress is being made on delivering cost saving to the fiscus.
In the previous financial year, GCIS bought media for 41 clients; this included national departments, provinces, and entities. I am pleased to announced that this advertising expenditure was valued over R250 million, for which GCIS paid about R220 million.
The amount saved through bulk buying was over R30 million. GCIS through its media buying operation, continues to support the financial viability of a diverse community media sector, by placing over R37 million in advertising in community press, radio and television.
Honourable Members,
I am pleased to announce that GCIS has yet again received an unqualified audit on both financial statements and performance information. The organisation continues to work smarter and displays sound financial management of public funds.
The vacancy rate has been kept consistently at 5% throughout the year. The Employment Equity Plan has been implemented and the following achievements were maintained with 53% of females at senior management level and 2.3% employees with disabilities.
This month GCIS will be relocating premises, Tshedimosetso House, in Hatfield. These premises will be equipped with state of the art technology that will enable GCIS to become more impactful in executing its mandate.
Over the medium term, expenditure is expected to increase from R396.7 million in 2013/14 to R430.8 million in 2015/16. The increased spending will mainly be in the Administration Programme and will be used for costs of IT and office accommodation.
GCIS was allocated additional funding of R19.1 million over the medium term.
As an additional savings measure approved by Cabinet, GCIS budget was reduced by R3.9 million in 2013/14, and R8.3 million in 2014/15 and R13.1 million in 2015/16.
These reductions, have delayed some of the planned expansions of communication services. However, the department has implemented measures, to mitigate any potential adverse effect on the achievement of outputs.
In conclusion, Chairperson, I would like to thank the Deputy Minister, Obed Bapela, for his leadership and strategic guidance to GCIS. I would also like to thank the Portfolio Committee for its vigilance and its support for the work of this important institution of government.
I thank the Acting CEO, Phumla Williams, and the management and staff of GCIS for the outstanding work performed in a very dynamic, challenging and at times, under-resourced, environment.
Speech by Hon Eric Kholwane during the National Assembly Budget Vote Debate on Government Communication and Information Services
2013 GCIS BUDGET VOTE
Honourable Chairperson
Honourable Minister & Deputy Minister of Performance, Monitoring and
Evaluation and Administration, Collins Chabane & Obed Bapela
Honourable Members of the House and Members of Cabinet present
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Communications
Acting CEO of GCIS Ms Pumla Williams
Chairperson and CEO of MDDA Ms Phelisa Nkomo and Mr Lumko Mtimde
Senior Government officials present
Members of the media and distinguished guests
It is my privilege and honour to introduce this budget vote debate on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Communications.
The capacity to communicate effectively with constituents is a fundamental function of modern governance. A key aspect of governance is how citizens, leaders and public institutions relate to each other in order to make change happen. Without communication structures and processes which enable the two-way exchange of information between the state and its citizens, it is difficult to imagine how states can be responsive to public needs and expectations.
Consultation and involvement of the public in the work of government through opening up communication channels can be considered as a basic pre-requisite in government transparency.
Communication represents an important function of government, responsible for improving three principle elements of government, being:
effectiveness – which is building broad support and legitimacy for programs;
responsiveness – which relates to knowing citizens needs and responding to them; and
accountability – which pertains to explaining government stewardship and providing mechanisms to hold government accountable.
Communication is not a one-way tool, but a participative engagement between government and its citizens. Honourable Minister, enhanced citizen participation, which is enabled by effective public communication, is a key indicator of effective government communication.
Therefore, government communication is more than just developing effective spokespeople, it also involves the provision of customer oriented services and building capacity for citizens to provide government with feedback in respect of these services. Fostering a collaborative approach and optimally using technological platforms is catalytic for engaging citizens in a knowledge economy which we strive to become.
On this day in 1754, journalist Benjamin Franklin printed the first political cartoon in American history - a woodcut of a severed snake entitled "Join or Die". Franklin`s cartoon in the Pennsylvania Gazette depicted the British North American colonies as a snake cut into eight segments, with each segment designated with an initial of a separate colony or a region as in the case of New England. An editorial discussing the "disunited state" of the colonies accompanied the cartoon, clearly suggesting that in light of the clear and present danger posed by the French and Native Americans to their security, the colonies faced a critical decision—to unite as a collective unit to repulse the enemy or remain disunited and suffer an inevitable death.
Today we are faced with the situation of a disjointed government communication system. It is my conviction that if this status quo remains, it will result in the ultimate demise of effective government communication.
The Comtask report of 1996 noted the disconnect between communication practitioners and the required level of skills needed in this profession, and recommended that a qualifications for government communicators be introduced.
To this end, whilst noting the work done by GCIS and PALAMA in this regard, however, as the ANC we urge you Minister to expedite the implementation of the qualification of government communicators.
Drawing on the principles of Franklin`s depiction, it is therefore high time that government unite to shape a collective message and way of doing things that spans across national, provincial and local government.
We conducted oversight visits across all provinces, and it has become apparent and evident that government departments continue to exploit community media through preferential advertising, late payment of accounts and unfair media practices. This is a condition that the Portfolio Committee looks upon with shame; and one that must immediately come to a complete halt.
Celebrating 10 years of MDDA
The MDDA was established by legislation (the MDDA Act No 14 of 2002) to create an enabling environment for the advancement of media development and diversity (including radio, television, newspapers, magazines and new media) that is conducive to public discourse and which reflects the needs and aspirations of South Africans._ This was in recognizing the exclusion and marginalization of disadvantaged communities and persons from access to the media and the media industry.
It started its operations in 2003 and 2013 marks 10 years of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), an opportunity exists for all key stakeholders to reflect on the key milestones achieved by the Agency in the quest to achieve access to a diversified media for all.
Also, this gives us an opportunity to check to what extent are all South Africans enjoying the freedom of expression and media freedom provisions enshrined in Section 16 (1) and access to information provisions laid in Section 32 of the Constitution Act No. 108 of 1996.
The importance of preserving media freedom in South Africa can be emphasised by describing the regrettable history during which media freedom was non-existent, as well as the long struggle towards the current state of affairs.
From colonialism to the apartheid regime, South Africa had a long history of oppression and censorship. As David Wigston points out, "[locally produced newspapers did not appear in South Africa until a century and a half after the occupation of the Cape by van Riebeeck in 1652, simply because the Dutch East India Company ... perceived the press as potentially revolutionary instrument".
Once the first non-government newspaper, The South African Commercial Advertiser, was published in 1824, the "twenty-two year monopoly of the government press" was broken. However, the then governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Charles Somerset, soon closed it down as he feared "reports of his spurious activities".
Government censorship during the apartheid era (i.e. pre 1994 democratic elections) severely hampered the media industry; ensuring that it "towed the line" in terms of the apartheid government`s policies. Newspapers had to apply for registration if they published more than 11 times a year andn arbitrary amount was also required before registration was approved. Government also enforced regulations controlling what newspapers could publish, especially with regard to articles and comment on activities deemed to be against the apartheid system.
The Constitution Act No.108 of 1996 protects and provides for the freedom of the media, freedom of expression and access to information. South Africa enacted many laws which give meaning and effect to the Constitution Act. These laws include the ICASA Act, MDDA Act, Access to Information Act, Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, Electronic Communications Act of 2005, Broadcasting Act of 1999, etc. including Chapter 9 of the Constitution which sets up institutions to support democracy.
The ANC acknowledges that the MDDA under the leadership of Ms Khanyi Mkhonza (Chairperson from 2003 till 2007), Ms Gugu Msibi (Chairperson from 2007 till 2012) and their respective Boards; Ms Libby Lloyd (CEO from 2003 till 2006), Mr Lumko Mtimde (CEO from 2006 till 2014) and their respective management teams has been stable, reporting their performance information in accordance with expectation and receiving unqualified audit reports. These 10 years of the Agency reflects on the success and correctness of the ANC policies.
The MDDA, with limited budget of R233m accumulatively since 2004, has supported more than 484 media projects, throughout the length and breadth of South Africa, in all the 9 provinces, focusing on historically disadvantaged communities, using indigenous languages. The MDDA has supported at least 1 community radio, 1 community media and magazine, 1 commercial newspaper and magazine at each District Municipality. It supports the community television initiatives in the country. Accumulatively since inception and as at 31 March 2013, the Agency has over 1800 people trained; it provided 147 bursaries to different radio and print media. It has created approximately 300 (direct and indirect) job opportunities in terms of direct jobs at beneficiary projects and empowered more people with skills that enable them to participate in the broader media and broadcasting industry.
The agreement reached between the MDDA and the Print and Digital Media South Africa (PDMSA), to recognize the MDDA Act of 2002 thereby using the MDDA Act definitions for community and small commercial media; is notable and appreciated. Historically, the term community media has been loosely used to include media owned by the mainstream and media owned by the community. This has led to an unintended consequence whereby the results in respect of adspent, the who`s who and categorisation of media landscape were always distorted. For example, the annual reflection of adspent into community media included media titles owned by the mainstream.
We hope that the community and small commercial media will now receive the requisite benefits from advertising and marketing.
We note the increased ad spent by Government into the community and small commercial media. In 2010/11 financial year, the total government expenditure on advertising in community media titles amounted to just R9 million and during the 2011/12 financial year was estimated to be close to R13 million which is in increase of 31 per cent. Minister, the leader of spending in government on community media is Government Communications and Information Systems which spent just over R2.5 million for ensuring that the State of the Nation Address is at close proximity and closer to our people in every village, streets and avenues. This augurs well for promoting media diversity.
We hope that there will be more adspent into community and small commercial media by Government in all the three spheres in order to reach the intended audience, media produced in indigenous languages, support media diversity and the sustainability of community and small commercial media.
MDDA in responding to the 2011 State of the Nation Address by His Excellency President Jacob Zuma which focused on job creation, as well as various government national policy framework such as Industrial Policy Action Plan(IPAP) and the National Growth Path(NGP), the MDDA has created approximately 310 direct and indirect job opportunities and has also empowered people with skills that enable them to participate meaningfully in the broader media and broadcasting industry value chain.
To this end, a number of South Africans gained skills, jobs were created and young people were employed.
This is 10 years worth celebrating, happy 10 years MDDA; you have done this country proud. This is also 20 years after the first broadcast by the first SA community radio Bush Radio on the 25th April 1993. Similarly it`s 20 years of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF). This is therefore a year of celebration for the MDDA.
World Press Freedom Day
The 03rd May is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom day, as per the proclamation by the United Nations (UN) at its General Assembly in 1993, in line with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This followed the 26th session of UNESCO General Conference in 1991, which adopted the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of principles calling for a free, independent and pluralistic media throughout the world. The Declaration affirms that a free press is essential to the existence of democracy and a fundamental human goal.
This year is the 20th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day and more than 19 years of independent press and media freedom in South Africa. An opportunity exists for all South Africans to reflect on the key milestones achieved in the quest to achieve media freedom and celebrate the fundamental principles of media freedom enshrined in the Constitution Act of 1996 (17 years ago), defend and protect media freedom, and pay tribute to media activists/journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty. All South Africans have reason to join the world, remember and celebrate World Press Freedom Day.
As we all celebrate World Freedom Day, we must ensure that rural communities have access to all media including television services and print media, in a language of their choice. We must ensure responsible journalism and that our media is transformed to reflect South Africa in every respect. We must also support and create an enabling environment for media development and diversity. Whereas, South Africans are celebrating legislative guarantees of press freedom, freedom of expression and editorial independence; it became clear after the Parliamentary processes in 2011, that a lot of work and commitment is need to ensure that the majority of South Africans enjoy these rights.
On the 27thApril, South Africans commemorated Freedom Day, being the 19th year since the first democratic elections of the Republic of South Africa. When drawing upon this day, we remember the words of former president Nelson Mandela who said, "...for to be free is not merely to cast off one`s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
This freedom is entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which maintains, amongst others, each citizen`s right to information – in effect, to be reliably informed. It is therefore imperative for the GCIS to ensure that it plays its role in building an informed citizenry; and providing citizens with information on priorities, programmes and activities. For this is a vital government function which underpins state-society relations.
When the 52nd Conference resolved on parliamentary enquiry on the desirability and feasibility of establishing an independent Media Appeals Tribunal the aim was to complement and strengthen the existing self-regulatory system of print media. The ineffectiveness and varied weaknesses of the self-regulatory regime was confirmed by the Press Freedom Commission (PFC), the recommendations of the PFC responded to the ANC resolutions. However it is with great sadness that the recommendations of PFC have been implemented selectively. Therefore it`s our revolutionary duty to ensure that when the ANC convenes its National General Council in 2015, we present a progress report on this matter.
Honourable Chairperson It is said that governments in the developed world are acutely aware of the need to communicate effectively both to influence public opinion and maintain their legitimacy, and often construct elaborate structures of press offices, and information ministries to perform the communication function. However, in many developing countries, governments lack communication capacity, and the development of the communication function is hampered by a combination of weak incentives, lack of professional training and communication infrastructure, and the lack of a supportive legal framework cognisant of the above, GCIS was then created to play a coordinating, facilitating and strategising role for all government communication and to provide a cost-effective communication service to the general public.
On 10thApril 2013, we remembered and commemorated the life of Comrade Chris Hani as this year marked the 20th anniversary since his tragic assassination in 1993. As President Zuma rightfully said, South Africa indeed owes the late Comrade Chris Hani a debt of gratitude for what he did during the struggle. We must therefore continue to honour his memory by developing a better life for all – for this is what he selflessly believed in. This better life means that every citizen must have, amongst others, access to information, which is a constitutional right.
Allow me to highlight some of the key issues contained in your Department`s 2012 budget vote tabled here in Parliament, particularly that the GCIS will:
energise the nation around the development goals and help to maintain confidence of investors and partners both locally and internationally;
facilitate the implementation of the national communication strategy;
continue building an empowered citizenry;
entrench an efficient and effective production and advertising agency for government, focused on cost effectiveness and the impact of messaging;
work with other departments, clusters, and entities to ensure that government`s image and that of the state at large is projected, defended and maintained;
launch a project focusing on 20 years of democracy;
institute development communication projects; and
conduct oversight of the Media Development and Diversity Agency.
In its 2012/13 third quarter report to the Portfolio Committee on Communications, GCIS noted that; firstly, 80 of its targets were fully achieved; four were partially achieved; eight were delayed & two were not achieved. Secondly, the annual report on government communications was delayed as a result of the decision taken to outsource writing of the book chapters because of a high staff turnover in the unit. Thirdly, production and distribution of copies of the Government communicators` handbook was delayed due to the slow submission of inputs from the different chief directorates; and lastly, reports on the implementation of the annual marketing and communication plan were delayed with 68 marketing events due to reduction of integrated mobile events and poor quality of some centres.
Whilst the Committee appreciates achievement of most of GCIS commitments, we note with concern government imperatives that are not met due to personnel and supplier negligence. Honourable Minister, this is a pattern that must be curtailed with the utmost urgency and perpetrators thereof brought to book if you have not done so.
In 2007, the African National Congress resolved that by 2014 all municipal areas must have community radio stations and publications. The Committee has noted the tremendous work done by the MDDA in establishing community radio stations and newspapers across communities; offering financial and non-financial support to its beneficiaries and partnering with relevant stakeholders towards the development of this media sector.
GCIS & MDDA Annual Performance Plan 2013/14
The ANC notes and support the overall objectives of the GCIS & MDDA strategic focus for the period 2013-2017 as informed by the vision and mandate.
The ANC will support the review of the MDDA mandate in order to make a meaningful impact into the strategic objective of creating an enabling environment for media development and diversity that is conducive to public discourse, where a diverse, vibrant and creative media flourishes and reflects the needs and aspirations of all South Africans. Thereby ensuring that each and every South African citizen should have access to a choice of a diverse range of media. This will include the possible amendments to the MDDA Act of 2002.
As the Minister noted, South Africa needs a strong and diverse media, which will support nation building as well as efforts to deepen, consolidate, defend and strengthen our democracy, social cohesion and good governance. Free, independent and pluralistic media can only be achieved through not only many media products but by diversity of ownership and control of media. Free and diverse media supports, promotes and strengthens democracy, nation building, social cohesion and good governance. Lack of transformation does not auger well for sustaining our democracy and the industry itself.
The ANC takes this opportunity to thank the funding partners of the MDDA, who committed to support Government in the implementation of the Objects of the MDDA Act, these being SABC, etv (Pty) Ltd, Primedia (Pty) Ltd, Kagiso Media (Pty) Ltd [Jacaranda FM & East Coast Radio], Africa Media Entertainment (AME) [Algoa FM & OFM], MNET, MULTICHOICE, Capricorn FM, Y-FM, Igagasi FM, Radio Today, Radio Riverside, Pulpit FM and Times Media Group, NASPERS, CAXTON (CTP Group) and Independent Newspapers. We urge that they continue their support for the noble cause of media diversity and plurality of voices and opinions. Together, we will increase our funding for the MDDA and turn the tide in respect of the transformation of media in South Africa.
The ANC also thanks the Board of the MDDA led by Ms Gugu Msibi who completed her 5 year tenure as a Chairman of the Agency and the Management team led by Mr. Lumko Mtimde. The Agency under Ms Msibi`s leadership has been stabled, performed maximally and received unqualified audit reports. We wish the new Chairperson of the Agency Ms Phelisa Nkomo and the new Board members all the best in taking MDDA to the next level.
Our thanks must also go to the leadership of GCIS for work well done the management team led by Mr J Manyi and now the acting CEO, Ms Phumla Williams. My appreciation also goes to all members of the committee in providing leadership, the support staff and Mr Mguga (Personal Assistant).
I further acknowledge the upcoming 4th annual MDDA local media awards which will take place on the 24th May 2013 in Johannesburg. These awards which serve, amongst others, to promote, reward and recognise excellence in the local media, promote professionalism in the local media and built capacity in the respective areas of focus; are an integral part of the development of community media; which remains largely marginalized. I therefore commend the MDDA for this initiative and wish them all the best in their planning efforts.
Conclusion
Having said this, I must congratulate the GCIS for it efforts in building effective government communication and enhancing media development and diversity. We still have a long way to go; however, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. In conclusion, I reiterate that:
Providing citizens with information on priorities, programmes and activities is a vital government function which underpins state-society relations.
Secondly, government communication is not a one-way tool, but a participative engagement between government and its citizens.
Thirdly, the Minister to expedite legislation and policy review given the challenges facing community media particularly in terms of transformation;
Fourthly, the GCIS to ensure that all national departments and state owned entities comply with the Committee`s 2012/13 recommendations to use community media when advertising;
Fifthly, GCIS must work harder in terms of coordinating government communication across all levels; being national, provincial and local; and
Lastly, the GCIS to attend to (i) the deteriorating state of existing Thusong Centres; (ii) the empty GCIS stands at Post Offices; and (iii) the reduction in the print order of the Vukuzenzele publication.
In ending, I quote the words of former president, Thabo Mbeki who once said, "As a consequence of the victories we have registered during our first ten years of freedom, we have laid a firm foundation for the new advances we must and will make during the next decade." Honourable Minister, we are encouraged that the budget as requested is sufficient to address the requirements contained in this budget vote and will support the key national imperatives. Working together we can and indeed will do more.
The ANC supports this budget vote.
Marian Shinn, Shadow Minister of Communications
Highlights:
GCIS makes no attempt to prove that its publications - and some of those it supports with advertising - are actually read by the intended audience.
Up to 76% of The New Age’s advertising for the six week from mid-November to end December last year came from government.
GCIS answer to Parliament reveals no independent studies of advertisements are conducted to test the efficacy of advertising messages; circulation is extrapolated from the print order data - therefore GCIS does absolutely nothing to determine whether The New Age is requested by the right readers who buy it or are given it for free. It does nothing to discover whether undelivered or unsold copies are returned unsold or unread.
GCIS and the Media Development and Diversity Agency’s job is to fulfil the mandate of the government of the day and not be the governing party’s ’mbongi.
A leadership change in Government’s communication service last year has allowed the expertise of the core functions of this department to take centre stage.
Most of its publications are competently designed and produced and its services to the media on behalf of government and the Cabinet are much improved but it is hampered by Cabinet Ministers who seldom arrive on time for press conferences.
GCIS also shares a fault that is all too common on websites - laziness in keeping their information current.
Last year I accused this department’s leadership of empire-building on steroids, of setting up a publishing operation to rival what it sees as the unsympathetic commercial media sector - and it believed National Treasury was a bottomless pit of taxpayers’ money.
Luckily fiscal sense was dispensed from Treasury and some of GCIS’s programmes have been pruned. Print orders of its publications have basically been halved as it has been forced to take a more realistic view of the numbers of readers in its market.
For example, the ambition to print the monthly magazine Vuk’uzenzele as a fortnightly has been shelved and the print run clipped to 20,4 million copies annually.
While this publication has value in informing citizens around the country of government activities GCIS has no way of proving that Vuk’uzenzele is read and that copies are not mouldering in some warehouse. Certainly, on the portfolio committee’s visits to post offices and Thusong centres around the country last year few, if any, copies were found.
Keeping printers in business and spending its the budget allocation are not the measure of an effective communications strategy. An independent audit of circulation and readership is the only way to be confident that the message is reaching its intended market.
This negligence in proving readership is what sets GCIS apart from the professional publishers who are rigorously pressured by their clients to prove the right message is reaching the target market and is properly understood.
GCIS makes no attempt to prove that its publications - and some of those it supports with advertising - are actually read by the intended audience.
Last year I asked every government department how much money it spent on advertising and sponsorships with the Gupta-owned newspaper - The New Age. It came to a staggering R64,1 million. Up to 76% of The New Age’s advertising for the six week from mid-November to end December last year came from government.
Why government departments need to advertise when most of the public service is on holiday is puzzling. In the commercial publishing world only retailers advertise at Christmas at time.
Now, my ANC colleagues will howl that this amount of money is peanuts compared to what government spends elsewhere on advertising. That is true, but as usual the ANC doesn’t get the point.
The point is that every credible publisher that has to compete in the open market for its advertising revenue has to prove to its clients that their publications are using the right vehicle to a deliver their message to a specific audience that delivers the required results. This is why the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ certification is essential to publications whose survival depends on clients who demand delivery.
The New Age declines to have its circulation independently verified by the ABC. Earlier this year, in response to the Democratic Alliance’s onslaught on their government ad spend The New Age released some figures of dubious quality through its own ‘audit’ process. This is inadequate and will unlikely impress the Auditor General whom the DA has asked to investigate whether government ad spend with this newspaper is wasteful expenditure.
But, never fear. GCIS has cracked The New Age circulation puzzle. Last year it responded to my question on whether an independent analysis was done to determine the circulation and readership of the newspaper it replied, and I quote:
‘GCIS conducts regular media sampling through its provincial offices and complements this with verification of print orders and audited circulation where available. GCIS verified the The New Age market entry deliverables as follows:
• 100- 120 000 published copies per day
• 24-32 pages daily
• Editorial content drawn from all nine provinces, distributed through three print regions, and
• Electronic editions available through e-paper, iPad app, Facebook, Twitter and the online edition
I’m still quoting
“On the basis of the above analysis, The New Age was recommended as a suitable publication for government departments to use in conjunction with other mainstream and community media, particularly in support of provincial and local outreach initiatives.”
As an aside, I thought that Vuk’uzenzele was used by government to spread its message to the areas not reached by commercial media. But I digress.
Still quoting from GCIS’s parliamentary answer.
“No independent studies of advertisements are conducted to test the efficacy of advertising messages post campaign, due to the prohibitive cost of establishing an on-going national research panel, which is sufficiently sensitive to provide feedback by publication.”
And it rambles on some more.
I was intrigued that GCIS was satisfied with an audit of The New Age so I followed up this year with a question asking how the audit had been done. This is its reply, and I quote:
“GCIS conducted a site visit to The New Age premises and inspected the original print order confirmations from the New Age’s sub-contracted printers.
“Circulation is the number of newspapers that are printed and distributed each day, and can be extrapolated from the print order data.”
“The print order reconciliations are audited by KPMG, The New Age newspaper’s auditors, as part of their due diligence process in testing internal audit protocols and finalising their findings on The New Age financial results.” end quote.
If this opinion did not involve the spending of millions of rands of taxpayers’ money it would be laughable.
Verifying the print run is only the first step in the circulation audit of a publication. All GCIS did here was to determine that The New Age’s printers weren’t ripping them off. GCIS does absolutely nothing to determine whether the newspaper is requested by the right readers who buy it or are given it for free. It does nothing to discover whether undelivered or unsold copies are returned unsold or unread.
GCIS’s ‘audit’ of The New Age would qualify for amateur hour if it were not a farce performed by public servants paid by taxpayers.
The Democratic Alliance again calls on the Auditor General to declare that departmental spending on advertising in The New Age is fruitless and wasteful and forbids it in the coming financial year.
It is essential to make this ruling because GCIS encourages departments to channel their ad spend through it because it can negotiate bulk rates with all publications. This principle has merit - but it has to be done professionally and meticulously to ensure the target market is effectively reached, and that there is no wastage.
GCIS and its Media Development and Diversity Agency have stated their intent to re-engineer - they use the word diversify - the print media industry. They wanted the portfolio committee to believe that it is the department’s patriotic duty to ensure that new, emerging media - such as The New Age - are given government advertising support so they can gain a firm footing against what it sees as an entrenched, old-guard, ANC-hostile media industry.
We believe that government support in establishing community media that serves the local interest and linguistic needs of marginalised communities is commendable. But the billionaire Guptas don’t qualify for taxpayers’ money to help them get established. If they believe they’re meeting a market need in South Africa, let them invest their own money to establish themselves, like every South African publisher has had to do.
If they’re unwilling to do this with their own money it can only be because they are more than willing to be paid by taxpayers to be part of - and profit handsomely from - this ANC-government’s election propaganda machine.
And let’s be under no illusions that GCIS - along with the Gupta-friendly SABC - will be used to bombard the nation with a rosy view of South Africa and the ANC’s perceived dominant role securing our constitutional democracy before next year’s election.
The role of governing party’s ’mbongi will become increasingly apparent during the coming year. This was evident in the strategic overview of GCIS’s Media Development and Diversity Agency which declared - and I quote:
“The much-awaited policy and elective Mangaung 53rd Conference of the African National Congress as the ruling party confirmed continuity in the leadership of government. This suggests that very little, if any, policy changes are likely to affect the work of the MDDA. A change in government and the current leadership could result in a change in policy approaches which could hamper the effective achievement of the organisation’s mission.”
On the surface, this statement may seem self-evident. And my ANC colleagues in the portfolio committee howled that there was nothing wrong with a public servant expressing relief that there had not been a change of leadership in the governing party.
I contend that - for the purpose of exercising their duties - political leadership battles are irrelevant to public servants. Their job is to fulfil the mandate of the government - let me emphasise - government of the day. Not to be concerned with the internal battles of the governing party.
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Budget Debate Vote 9 |
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