Deputy
Minister Essop Pahad
Opening
address: Budget vote of GCIS, National Assembly
8 March 1999
Madame Speaker;
Honourable Members:
The pleasure I experience in presenting
this year’s Budget of the Government Communication and Information
System is, I am certain, something that all Members of this House
share.
I am informed that at the briefing
to the Portfolio Committee, Members from all parties complemented
the management of GCIS for what they termed a dramatic turn-around
in government communications, in a period of less than a year.
When I rose to address parliament last
year, the books of the old SACS were finally closed; and the era
of a new, fresh and innovative communications order was ushered
in. Over the past year, the Secretariat of GCIS has started, at
a breathless pace, to transform government communications into an
integrated system.
But we are only at the beginning of
a protracted process towards a communications environment in which
we can say with confidence that the citizens of our country are
adequately informed about government policies and programmes; and
indeed about their role in the on-going struggle to change their
lives for the better. Before that is achieved, we can only draw
solace from the small steps we are taking; fully aware that the
journey is long and hard. We have no reason to pause.
Transformation of GCIS
Honourable Members would recall that
the appointment last year of the management of GCIS brought to an
end a very important phase in the renewal of government communications
- a phase which began when Deputy President Thabo Mbeki appointed
the Communications Task Group.
We remain indebted to that group of
13 men and women who scoured through reams of submissions, worked
through dozens of presentations, and travelled through many countries
to finally arrive at what has been called the Comtask Report.
Their incisive recommendation, among
others, that the purpose of the new information system "must
be to provide a network throughout the country which provides every
citizen with the information required to live and control their
lives", remains the injunction that spurs us on, as we improve
the manner in which government converses with the public.
And so the new management began prodding
through the rubble to find what could be salvaged of a structure
that was teetering on the brink of utter demoralisation: with an
IT system in a shambles, and the legitimacy of the structure reduced
to rubble.
After a long process of evaluating
staff, the structures and systems in the organisation, the conclusion
was reached that there was much that could be taken into the future.
However, the orientation and posture of the organisation had to
be shifted. Of a formal establishment of over 500, only 230 people
remained; and among these, a small percentage was involved in actual
communication. As GCIS expands to a much smaller formal structure
of about 360 personnel, a deliberate effort is being made to ensure
that the overwhelming majority of new employees are communicators.
Introducing a new culture also meant
embarking on a protracted process of transforming the mind sets
in line with the new mandate of communicators, infused with the
public service spirit of Batho Pele, and possessed by the passion
of the GCIS motto: Bua - the right to know!
Over the past year, morale has picked
up, as certainty set in; as staff could feel the sense of legitimacy
that derived from new attitudes within government; and with palpable
results in many areas of work that made personnel feel that they
were making a difference.
How is it possible that the GCIS seeks
to achieve more with fewer personnel?
Firstly, by keeping a tight rein on
staff employed for purposes of production.
Secondly, by ensuring that regional
offices become the hub of government communications, with the majority
of staff being communicators; and above all, building closer working
with Provincial Governments.
Thirdly, by reducing the proportion
of people in administrative functions in favour of professionals;
which will entail, among others, retraining and constant upgrading
of personnel.
Restructuring has also meant developing
a greater degree of client orientation, and communicating through
channels that people prefer. The organisation has started to introduce
a project management system that will see it delivering integrated
services to the campaigns of government.
Integration of communication
Strategies and programmes
As Comtask recommended, the GCIS Secretariat
is a strategising body located in the Presidency. Among the reasons
why this was decided upon is the need to ensure that communication
structures are fully and continually briefed on government thinking.
This has been enhanced by the attendance of Cabinet meetings by
the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation.
An important step in the fulfilment
of this mandate was the drafting of a national government communication
strategy which was adopted by Cabinet last October. This was updated
in the context of the opening of parliament and the GCIS Parliamentary
Briefing Week.
Based on research by government for
purposes of government communication, this strategy provided for
the overarching message which government uses in its various activities.
The assertion that the foundation has been laid and the building
has begun; and emphasis on hope for the future of our country are
both an expression of the reality within which we live, and a reflection
of the perceptions that exist within the public.
It is also in the transversal campaigns
of government that the creative hand of GCIS has sought to display
itself. Thus GCIS has made decisive inputs in the preparation and
execution of, among others, the following campaigns:
- the AIDS Awareness Campaign and
the launch of the Partnership against AIDS;
- the Jobs Summit, as well as communication
post the summit;
- the Anti-Corruption Conference and
the upcoming inter-sectoral Summit;
- the Human Rights National Action
Plan; and
- management of the event around the
handing over of he TRC Report.
In consultation with the Youth Commission
and the IEC, and on the basis of quick research, the GCIS was able
to throw in its lot into the voter registration campaign. We should
acknowledge here that, had this been started earlier, the impact
could have been much better.
The strategising role of GCIS has also
found expression in the work of individual departments and agencies.
Inputs have also been made regarding the restructuring of departmental
communication components.
An exciting area initiated last year,
and which should take shape in the next financial year has been
the development of an international marketing strategy for South
Africa. I am sure both sides of the House will agree that for far
too long we have not had an integrated strategy and programme which
all departments, indeed all sectors of South African society, can
in various ways, promote in marketing our country abroad. The GCIS
has been working with the co-ordination and Implementation Unit
in the Deputy President’s Office as well as Departments of
Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Trade and Industry, Business South Africa,
SATOUR and others in getting this project off the ground.
Consolidating the communications
system
One of the central tasks of GCIS is
to ensure co-ordination among all sectors of government communication.
A key element of this has been the Government Communicators’
Forum - a fortnightly meeting of Heads of Communication in the departments
and/or ministries. This serves as a platform to plan for Cabinet
meetings and to share views and experiences on major communication
challenges. The various departments and agencies have been grouped
into clusters which have begun meeting regularly.
Regular consultations with Heads of
Communication in the Provincial Governments has helped to vastly
improve relations between the two spheres. Arising from these discussions,
it has been agreed that the revamped regional Government Information
Centres will formalise their relations with their provincial counter-parts.
The last Inter-Governmental Summit
seven days ago agreed that these consultations should continue,
leading to the adoption of Memoranda of Understanding between GCIS
and Provincial authorities. I am pleased to report that the initial
distrust displayed by Western Cape government officials has made
way to an appreciation of the need for collaboration without derogating
from each sphere’s programmes and obligations.
With regard to training, the recent
appointment of an experienced trainer on a contract basis, to establish
a curriculum and governing body for such training, will contribute
immensely to professionalising government communication even further.
Media policy and relations
A great deal of attention has been
paid to improving relations with the media. GCIS has more or less
formalised the institution of monthly press breakfasts where Ministers
provide in-depth background briefings. In consultation with journalists,
the format of the Parliamentary Briefing Week has been improved.
What is critical in the new approach to media liaison is that the
improvements being introduced are worked out in consultation with
our colleagues in the media.
It is our firm view that, while professionalising
servicing of the media in general, even greater emphasis needs to
be placed on developing links with those media which are closest
and easily accessible to the majority of the people. Community media
have been placed on an electronic network for government and development
news.
During the course of the year, consultations
have been held with a number of media houses about the approach
of government to the question of media diversity. Without exception,
those consulted see a role for themselves in the development of
a wider base of ownership and in diversifying the news-rooms. We
believe that, with effort, a broad consensus will emerge on such
questions as the setting up of, and contributions to, a media development
agency, the application of the common vehicle carrier principle,
approaches to anti-competitive behaviour in line with the Competition
Act and so on.
Personnel has just been employed in
this directorate, and we hope in this financial year to start moving
towards drafting regulations or, if need be, relevant legislation.
Development communication
GCIS has made huge strides in placing
development communication at the centre of government’s focus.
There is a growing realisation that methods appropriate to the environment
of a developing country are more suitable to South Africa. This
point was driven home when the CEO and I visited India in October
last year. Not only did we find their experience impressive; but
a basis has been laid for the training of our communicators.
Here again, the emphasis is on achieving
a repositioning of our communications paradigm. Instead of simply
relying on the odd media release and press briefing to get the government’s
message to the public, new forms have to be sought.
One of these has been the evolution
of the government’s Report to the Nation. This began in 1997
when the Mid-term Report was produced; which in turn was updated
in 1998. These were mammoth tasks that required the translation
of long documents, their printing, despatching and final distribution.
And we should admit that the process took much longer than desirable
in 1998.
Yet we do draw pride from the fact
that, from this exercise, we have, for the first time in this country
started to use the network of Post Offices where there are permanent
GCIS stands, as well as schools, police stations and other centres
for availing general government information.
The aim has been to base these documents
on the President’s State of the Nation Address and briefings
by Ministers. In order to improve government’s reach, this
year GCIS decided to embark on a different tack: using newspaper
inserts, leaflets and radio programmes produced by GCIS.
To enhance the use of radio, which
is critical for development information, a radio unit has been established
which will provide brief and focused information to community radio,
just as Bua News services community newspapers.
Greater attention will be paid in the
coming year to the restructuring of regional offices to carry out
systematic campaigns among communities, including starting to experiment
with folklore and other forms in their interaction with the population.
Also critical in this drive will be
the usage of tele-centres and Multi-Purpose Community Centres. Over
time, we believe that the whole of government will need to examine
the issue of "one-stop government service centres" which
integrate all various strands of government service to the people
at least at district level.
Providing a service
The various directorates of GCIS have
striven to render a top-class service to government departments.
For example, the Directorate: Research
conducted various surveys on information needs and skills audits,
and it provided professional advice to government departments. Among
other tasks, Information Resource Management answered about 5 000
queries from the public. The Exhibition Section of the new Directorate
for Project Management completed 105 projects while the minuscule
Publications section worked on about 40 publications including the
600-page SA Yearbook.
This is besides the work done by the
video unit, participation in Lisboa 98 Expo, artwork for many departments
usually at short notice, and so on. The current tender to find agencies
to implement the bulk-buying approach will further ensure not only
a professional service to government, but large savings as well.
A major highlight of the year was the
launch of the government website in January this year. We wish to
thank members of the Portfolio Committee who joined the Deputy President
in ushering in an important tool in the drive to provide the public
with information. I should underline that this single entry-point
into government sites will only improve in a meaningful way if we
get feedback from the public about their information needs and the
weaknesses the site may have.
Details on these production-related
activities are contained in the Annual Report.
I should say that, as the election
period approaches, questions will naturally arise about government
communication in relation to the elections.
The principle always applies that Government
Communication (as any other department) does not promote the interests
of one or the other party but those of government. Government Communication
is obliged to inform the public about activities of government,
as well as its successes and the difficulties it faces.
When the election period comes, we
suppose that there will be clear guidelines from the IEC and relevant
bodies regarding the parameters, if any, of such communication.
The GCIS will observe such rules and regulations to the letter.
Conclusion
I should conclude, Madame Speaker,
by emphasising that these improvements in the work of Government
Communications are only a small part of the broader task of changing
the communications environment in our country. Besides the issues
of media diversity and direct contact between government and the
population that I referred to earlier, we should underline that
all this is made possible by the environment of free exchange of
ideas guaranteed in our constitution and Bill of Rights.
This government is committed, as a
matter of principle, to ensure that its activities are as transparent
as possible. This is not only an ideal; but it is also a necessary
condition for the people to continue to act as their own liberators,
in defence of their rights and in changing their lives for the better.
We are encouraged by the steady progress that parliament is making
towards processing the Open Democracy Bill.
At the same time, the understanding
that government has reached with the media on the application of
Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act is yet another example
of the commitment of this government to providing the most conducive
atmosphere possible for South Africa’s media to flourish.
We do all this in the service of the
people, as a matter of principle and in deference to our constitution.
And we wish to reiterate our commitment to use all means possible
to bring government information about its policies and activities
to the people.
The Government Communications and Information
System will continually strive to improve its service, as its contribution
to the realisation of nation-building and reconciliation, reconstruction
and development.
Thank You.
Deputy
Minister in the Office of the Presidency, Dr Essop Pahad
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