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Chief Directorate: Government and Media Liaison (G&ML)
Chief Director:
Government and Media Liaison
Chief Director: Harold Maloka
Tel: 012 314 2108
Fax: 012 326 0317
Cell: 082 847 9799
Email:harold@gcis.gov.za
The Chief Directorate's
purpose is to provide a comprehensive and coherent media and government
liaison service.
Responsibilities
of the Chief Director include:
- member of
the GCIS Secretariat, a strategising body chaired by the CEO
- managing
the sections in the Chief Directorate
- overall budget
and personnel in the Chief Directorate
- providing
strategic direction to the Chief Directorate.
The Chief Directorate
comprises the following subprogrammes:
Directorate:
News Service
Director:
Roze Moodley
Tel: 012 314 2224
Fax: 012 321 2804
Cell: 084 500 3289
E-mail: roze@gcis.gov.za
The function of the directorate is to provide government and development-related stories to print and electronic media, both local and international, free of charge.
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Directorate:
National Liaison (NL)
Director:
Legadima Leso
Tel: 012 314 2125
Fax: 012 321 2305
Cell: 083 378 9495
E-mail: legadima@gcis.gov.za
Deputy Director:
Bubu Xuba
Tel: 012 314 2286
Fax: 012 321 2305
E-mail: bubu@gcis.gov.za
Deputy Director: Michelle Hugo
Tel: 012 314-2208
Fax: 012 321-2305
E-mail: michelle@gcis.gov.za
Deputy Director: Walter Shibamba
Tel: 012 314-2322
Fax: 012 321-2305
E-mail: walter@gcis.gov.za
Deputy Director: Itumeleng Bokaba
Tel: 012 314-2921
Fax: 012 321-2305
E-mail: itumeleng2@gcis.gov.za
Deputy Director: Martha Moepeng Tshwane
Tel: 012 314-2920
Fax: 012 321-2305
E-mail: moepeng@gcis.gov.za
The Directorate promotes interdepartmental co-ordination and co-operation on communication matters through systems and structures established by GCIS.
There are two subdirectorates:
Subdirectorate: Products and Publications
Fuctions of the subdirectorate are:
- Government Communicators' Handbook: The Handbook provides simple guidelines and reference tools around government communication, including the government communication strategy, media liaison, campaign management, development communication, understanding of government policy, marketing and advertising and managing the corporate identity of government.
- Bua Magazine: Bua Magazine is an electronic quarterly magazine aimed at government communicators and mainstream media editors. The magazine aims to encourage debates and promote continuous discussions around issues affecting government communications. The magazine aims to improve the flow of information among government communicators and seeks to promote the work of government by analysing policy and outlining it to the mainstream media to improve the communication environment.
- Communicators' Web (Government Communicators' Forum {GCF} web page): The Communicators' Web or GCF web page is an electronic information platform containing contact information and updated information affecting government communicators. It enables them to access documents such as minutes, presentations, resolutions and other interesting material relating to the GCF and relevant information associated with the profession. It is a password-protected page as it also contains strategic documents.
- Calendar of Events: The aim of this initiative is to enable government communicators to share their plans for public activities and programmes. It enables them to take advantage of the opportunities created by other departments for bilateral work, to be more sensitive to the environment within which information is released and approaches are taken, and to be more proactive in setting the Government agenda.
- Key Performance Area report cards for Heads of Communication (HoCs): Report cards are sent to Directors-General (DGs) during assessments in March, as prescribed in Cabinet Memo 16 of 2000. The memo mandates GCIS to become part of the 'assessing authority' on the participation of HoCs in the Government communication system. The report is part of an ongoing process aimed at alerting HoCs of their active or lack of participation in the Government communication system and assists the departmental performance management processes.
- Government Communicators' Awards (GCA) and GCA web page: The awards, instituted by the Minister in the Presidency, Dr Essop Pahad in 2002, are conferred to recognise improved delivery, innovation and excellence in the government communications profession. Its objectives are to:
- promote, encourage and maintain high standards of professionalism in communication at all levels of government.
- act as a catalyst and encouragement to communicators.
- reinforce the commitment of communicators to their daily work.
The Awards are held at a gala ceremony on the first Friday in December and all government communicators are eligible. Securing sponsorship forms a main part of the project. More information about the awards is available on the website.
- Database of government communicators: The Directorate: NL is responsible for government communications' central database and distributes information to all government communicators. The database is updated regularly . It also assists us to keep tabs on the communicators leaving and joining government to ensure they attend the orientation programme and that it reflects on the report cards.
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Subdirectorate: Strategy and Co-ordination
Fuctions of the subdirectorate are:
- Government Communicators' Forum: The GCF is a forum in which all communicators from national and provincial spheres of government meet and strategise for communication. It further provides a platform for government communicators to plan and identify communication opportunities across all spheres and sectors of government through substantive discussions and joint planning to fulfil the Government's commitment of accelerating service delivery to ensure a better life for all. This forum is convened three times a year by the Directorate: NL.
- Communication clusters : Clusters are constituted by national HoCs at Chief Director level. They meet to co-ordinate and plan communication of departmental projects and programmes, assessing and planning issues arising from Cabinet and DG clusters, plan and assess the implementation of departmental communication strategies and share information. Communication clusters meet once per month starting from February to November.
There are five communication clusters:
- Social Sector cluster chaired by the Department of Social Development
- Economic Investment and Employment cluster chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry
- Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster chaired by the South African Police Service
- Governance and Administration cluster chaired by the Department of Public Service and Administration
- International Relations, Peace and Security (IRPS) cluster chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- Ministerial Liaison Officers (MLOs) Forum: This forum assists in nurturing relations with the media and come up with plans of action on how best to work in a more constructive manner. It convenes thrice yearly and is governed by an executive committee managed by MLOs.
Its objectives are:
- building greater integration and co-ordination of government messages
- assisting with the effective implementation of the national communication strategy
- networking and strengthening partnerships with both local and international media
- facilitating training for MLOs to ensure professionalism.
- Cluster Parliamentary Media Briefings: These are held during the week following the delivery of the State of the Nation Address (SoNA). Ministers of each cluster form a panel led by a Minister of the lead department e.g. Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma leads the IRPS cluster. Member departments make inputs into a single cluster document that is then presented on behalf of the cluster by the lead Minister. The primary objective being to give a full account of the plans of each cluster for a particular year as broadly outlined by the State President during the SoNA.
GCIS (Chief Directorate: Government and Media Liaison) chairs the sessions, provides media liaison support and co-ordination of the preparation of the presentation documents, including other logistical support e.g. posting of speeches and statements on government website.
- Programme of Action (PoA): The State President has adopted a programmatic approach to service delivery by attaching deadlines to priorities of clusters in the SoNA viz. PoA. On a two month cycle, clusters give feedback to Cabinet on progress made in terms of delivery and meeting deadlines. The Directorate: NL facilitates this through communication clusters and by sending alerts to Directors-General and HoCs as and when deadlines approach.
- Submission of strategies, assessment and feedback to departments: The Directorate: NL facilitates the development of departmental communication strategies. Once developed, they are forwarded to the Directorate: Policy for alignment and assessment and a report card is developed for each strategy outlining strengths, weaknesses as well as recommendations. Presently, feedback is given back collectively to departments and provinces at the GCF. Departments are also sent individual assessment reports from the Directorate: Policy through the Directorate: NL.
- Building a communication system at local government level: As a recommendation of the Comtask Report (1996), government communication in all three spheres of government should be systematised and co-ordinated. This can be achieved if strategising is centralised and implementation remains decentralised. Local government is at the coalface of service delivery. It becomes immediately important for communication to be strengthened at that level too. The CEO of GCIS, DG of the Department of Provincial and Local Government and the CEO of the South African Local Government Association entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the establishment of communication structures at local government level
- Orientation of government communicators: Communication has proven to be a mobile career with communicators coming in and going out of government at a rapid pace. New communicators get thrown into the deep end with proper orientation of how the system operates. This largely affects those who are recruited from the private sector. The Directorate: NL arranges a one-day orientation session for new communicators. The programme was inaugurated in 2004 and will be conducted once a year unless otherwise demanded by circumstances.
- Provincial HoCs' meetings: The GCIS Secretariat meeting with provincial HoCs is a platform for provincial government communicators to meet with the Secretariat. At this meeting provinces are assisted with communication challenges and in aligning their communication strategies with the national communication strategy. The meeting is held prior to every GCF three times a year and is also attended by the GCIS regional managers.
- Pre-Cabinet Meeting: The Pre-Cabinet Meeting is a platform where communicators plan for current affairs for cabinet on communication issues. The meeting is attended by HoCs and MLOs and meets fortnightly. The HoCs, in consultation with MLOs, are expected to develop strategies or communication plans around Cabinet issues that will be tabled at Parliament. This also includes the development of key messages for distribution to Cabinet members.
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Directorate:
International and Media Liaison (I&ML)
The Directorate provides professional media liaison leadership and support to government. It also renders media liaison functions to the domestic and international media. It also provides international liaison communication support to government and multilateral institutions on issues that involve the South African government
There are two subdirectorates:
Subdirectorate: Media Liaison
Tel: 012 314 2108
Fax: 012 326 0317
Cell: 082 847 9799
Email:harold@gcis.gov.za
Fuctions of the subdirectorate are:
- Develops media strategies and plans for major government projects.
- Writes, edits and compiles material for government campaigns.
- Arranges regular press events and briefings for the media on behalf of government.
- Facilitates the annual Media Briefing Week following the State of the Nation Address in February.
- Facilitates the regular Programme of Action media briefings conducted throughout the year.
- Provides media liaison support to government departments.
- Holds media and government communicators’ informal interactions to enhance relations.
- Provides support for State visits and other events on request.
Subdirectorate: International Liaison
Deputy Director: Balosang Sanki Lerefolo
Tel: 012 314 2112
Fax: 012 326 0317
Cell: 082 836 8703
Email:sanki@gcis.gov.za
Functions of the subdirectorate are:
- Manages and provides strategic communication support on the African Union , New Partnership for Africa’s Development , Pan-African Parliament , Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other multilaterals and international relations issues.
- Assists in the development and implementation of communication strategies on government campaigns and projects.
- Manages international visitors and exchange programme in collaboration with the relevant departments.
- Monitors international conferences and workshops relevant to South Africa.
- Ensures the provision of information and communication support services for South African Missions abroad.
- Accredits foreign journalists.
- Liaises with foreign journalists and opinion-makers.
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Communication
Centre
Deputy Director:
Mariette van Jaarsveld
Tel: 012 314 2141
Fax: 012 323 3812
Cell: 082 455 1347
E-mail: mariette@gcis.gov.za
Fuctions of the subdirectorate are:
- The Communication Centre monitors the print and electronic media to keep government communicators informed about developments within the communication environment.
- The section provides clients with copies of radio and television news and actuality programmes on request.
- Summaries of electronic news coverage are compiled and issued three times daily.
- The section also provides a newspaper clipping service of national and regional newspapers.
- Clients to the Communication Centre include the Presidency, ministries, national and provincial departments, local government, embassies and statutory bodies.
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Directorate: Parliamentary Liaison Office
Director: Colin Cruywagen
Tel: 021 461 8146
Fax: 021 461 1446
Cell: 082 377 9916
E-mail: colin@gcis.gov.za
The Parliamentary Liaison Office provides media liaison services; and government information to members of Parliament and the public.
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