Deputy Minister Kenneth Morolong: Meta for Government Summit

Programme Director; Meta representatives;
Government communicators; Ladies and gentlemen.

It is an honour to address you today at the second Meta for Government Summit. This summit convenes at a crucial time as we confront the challenges of the digital age and embrace the opportunities it presents for governance, communication and economic growth.

In South Africa, we are witnessing an unprecedented transformation in the way we govern and engage with our citizens. Digital media platforms such as those provided by Meta play a pivotal role in this journey by helping us connect with citizens more directly, openly and effectively. Government has made digital engagement central to our efforts to uplift our people and empower them to take charge of their own destinies.

Through Meta platforms, we can amplify this empowerment by providing educational content, job opportunities, public service announcements and real-time communication. This is indeed a step towards creating a more informed and connected society where government is responsive to the needs of citizens.
Programme Director,

The end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s first democratically elected President and the African National Congress government was a moment of real optimism. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 guaranteed the right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the media.

Considering the role played by the South African media industry, it was widely anticipated that the country would have a lively media scene, with plenty of diverse views being heard, many of them for the first time. We are witnessing that robust and lively public discourse today; as was anticipated 30 years ago!

The Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution is the cornerstone of South Africa’s democracy. Our Constitution and various courts interpret the right to freedom of expression to mean not only the right to speak and hear speech, but also the right to access the means by which to communicate.

For the right to freedom of expression to be freely exercised by all citizens, information coverage must reach everyone throughout the country in line with the Constitution’s other objectives of ensuring that communications services are accessible, affordable and available. The “means by which to communicate” refers to a wide range of traditional and new media services, including those provided by Meta.

Today we are witnessing the full display of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which describes a world where individuals move between digital domains and offline reality with the use of connected technology to enable citizens to manage their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the last 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy, we have had a myriad of legislation and government-led policies that advocate for interactivity and public participation. We have taken a thought leadership position, guided by the understanding that a well-functioning democracy requires free and diverse news media capable of keeping people informed, holding powerful actors to account and enabling public discussion of public affairs.

Our resolve as government is to work with all our stakeholders to develop legislative frameworks on freedom of the press. This approach acknowledges the role of all media in a democracy, and confirms that media and new media fulfil an extremely critical role in the realisation of the right to receive and impart information.

Distinguished communicators,

Attendant to the technological advances is the phenomena of online threats, fake news, disinformation, misinformation and deepfakes. Thus creating unintended consequences of social media platforms.

Such as online attack of women and children, and an increased level of reverse- porn, which has resulted in many deaths that could have been avoided. Social media platforms should be spaces for constructive dialogue and community-building initiatives, not for harmful messages and messaging.

The South African Government views the spread of misinformation as a serious threat to democracy and social cohesion. It is therefore important for Meta to play an active role in curbing this unwelcome and often pernicious reality on their platforms.

We welcome Meta’s ongoing efforts to tackle disinformation by employing fact- checkers, developing sophisticated content moderation systems and supporting digital literacy initiatives. This is vital to ensuring that citizens receive accurate information that they can trust and are protected from malicious content designed to cause discomfort.

Programme Director,

The media sector plays a significant role in holding government and corporate leaders accountable to the citizens. Newspaper companies are also at the forefront of driving economic development in terms of their contributions to a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), employment creation, general literacy, and skills development.

Nevertheless, the mainstream media, like any other industry, are affected by the Digital Industrial Revolution. We have seen newspaper closures, and the decline in advertising revenue, circulation and readership figures means that the sector is in need of long-term self-sustainability strategies. The emergence of digital content distribution platforms continue to impact on the advertising-based business model of print media.

In part response to this reality, we have appointed a Print and Digital Media Transformation and Revitalisation Steering Committee. We hope Meta will join other stakeholders and assist government to address issues of mutual interest among stakeholders.

Programme Director,

I would like to reiterate that at the core of the government agenda are three key priorities, which align with the discussions at this summit:

Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation: Through digital tools, we can drive economic inclusion and ensure that all citizens benefit from the opportunities that platforms managed by Meta provide. This is particularly crucial for small businesses and entrepreneurs who have used these platforms to create jobs and expand their reach.

Social Cohesion and Nation-Building: Digital platforms have a unique ability to connect people across geographical, cultural and societal divides. Government is committed to using these tools to foster national unity, promote dialogue and encourage shared understanding among our diverse population.

Building a Capable, Ethical and Developmental State: Transparency and accountability are critical to strengthening governance. By engaging citizens directly through digital platforms, government can ensure that people are informed and empowered while also upholding the ethical use of these tools to fight disinformation and ensure data protection.

Distinguished guests, the partnership between government and Meta represents a significant opportunity to create lasting change in South Africa. Together, we can ensure that digital platforms are not just tools for communication but enablers of economic growth, empowerment, and social cohesion. Let us embrace this opportunity to build a digitally inclusive, safe and empowered South Africa.

Government looks forward to collaborating further with Meta on initiatives that promote safer online environments, especially for our youth, who are most vulnerable to this kind of abuse.

I wish you a fruitful engagement.

Thank you.