Department of Communications & Communications strategy 2014-19: Deputy Minister progress report

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed the Deputy Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. The Chairperson hoped for a good year for the portfolio committee’s work. It was important that the DoC report to the Committee so that the Committee was well acquainted with what it was overseeing, especially since it was a new department. The Minister of Communications could not attend because she was a speaker at the Commonwealth digital switchover in Johannesburg. She outlined the agenda of the first term.

Mr G Davis (DA) said the program was good and noted that the Committee would discuss digital migration for the first time. Given that there was an overlap with telecommunications, it was important to have a joint meeting with PC Telecommunications. He suggested that it would be good to have the whole SABC board present when the committee discusses the SABC. While the agenda showed that the SABC board chairperson position need to be filled, he pointed out that two other people had resigned from the board other than Ms Zandile Tshabalala, namely, Tembinkosi Bonakele and Bongani Khumalo.

The Chairperson said that a joint meeting with the Committee on Telecommunications will be considered. The Committee will only move on interviewing the other board member positions when it was published in the parliamentary papers: Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC). The vacancies had not been referred to the Committee.

Progress report on establishment of DoC
Mr Donald Liphoko, Acting Director General, DoC, said the new Department of Communications (DoC) was established following the President’s pronouncement in May 2014. Proclamation 43 of 8 July 2014 was issued by the President to amend Schedule 1 of the Public Service Act to establish new and renamed departments. Proclamation 47 of 15 July 2014 was also issued transferring the administration of legislation and entities from one Minister to another in terms of Sect.197 of the Constitution. DoC and Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services met at a ministerial level coordinated by the Presidency to address the transfer legislative functions culminating in Proclamation 79 issued in the government gazette on 2 December 2014.

 The Department of Communications was established with the following entities reporting to it:
- Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)
- Brand South Africa (Brand SA)
- South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)
- Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA)
- Film and Publication Board (FPB).

DoC plays an important role in the implementation of Outcome 14: Nation Building and Social Cohesion. It is expected to provide support to the Department of Sport and Recreation in improving the pride South Africans have in the national sporting teams.  The target is achieving 66% by 2019. The Department has a role in "Forging a new overarching identity". It needs to influence South Africans to be proud South Africans and it has to improve the target from 66% to 75% of South Africans reflecting pride to be South Africans.

In November 2014, the President directed that the GCIS be re-established and separated from DoC. Officials from DoC  and DTPS created the work streams dealing with organizational scoping, finance and budgets, infrastructure assets including It and legal and policy matters. 27 staff members had to move from DTPS to DoC.

The following legislation has been assigned to the Minister of Communications:
- Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act, 2000 (Act No.13 of 2000)
- Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No.4 of 1999)
- Films and Publications Act, 1996 (Act No. 63 of 1996)
- Media Development and Diversity Agency Act, 2002 (Act No.14 of 2002).

A National Macro Organisation of the State (NMOS) Steering Committee was set up to oversee the smooth configuration and establishment of the new departments. The Committee was chaired by the Director General (DG) in the Presidency and comprised the DGs of affected departments and the DGs of Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), National Treasury, GCIS and the Department of Public Works. The DPSA was tasked to coordinate the technical part of the work and to chair the National Project Team which met bi-weekly. National Treasury and the DPSA provided the required guides and templates in the rollout of the project including direct support on the transfer of legislative functions and the development of high level organizational structures. With the assistance of the DPSA, the DoC produced a start-up organizational structure. DoC was operating with staff appointed from the ministry included contracted staff that have been brought to establish the department , perform oversight functions over entities reporting to the Minister and drive the Digital Migration Project. Corporate service posts had been donated from GCIS, DoC has started a process of filling vacant posts and adverts were being prepared for funded posts. The focus of DoC was now moving with speed to build the necessary capacity for it to function and to implement.

Discussion
Mr Davis said there was a lot of social engineering of functions not related to DoC for instance mention of self description and self identity. He asked how DoC defines pride and how it measures pride, and how it proposes to manufacture pride or was the idea to stop hearing anything wrong about the government? Even DoC can influence them think, is it really a job of government to influence pride in the people? The primary job was to communicate government policies, not to try to influence their minds. Does it really matter if a person identifies herself as a woman before a soccer player and then a South African? There was no reason for use of public money to try influence how people think about themselves. He asked how the 70% target of South African was to be reached, how it enforces this, given that South Africa was diverse. The job of government was to give citizens the facts and empower themselves, not to influence them on how to think.

The Deputy Minister said DoC and DTPS were split into two departments because during the run-up to elections, citizens complained that government had not been talking to them. After getting majority vote, the ANC had to respond to the needs of the citizens. During elections, political parties run around like headless chickens trying to explain what the government has done. DoC was encouraging public representatives to go on air to communicate about legislation and policies passed by parliament. Self identity was evident in South Africa during the World Cup and during the funeral of Mandela which greatly influenced investor perceptions. Contrary to what was believed that SA was seen as a floppy country, the country will get an award on the 19 February. Some South Africans do not identify themselves because they lack information. DoC has made it a policy to stop depriving journalists of information from DoC without any spin. Politicians were good at spinning; that was the reason for the majority vote. People were still clueless about the Constitution; hence the need to increase awareness. The 70% was that SABC must broadcast South African issues and the 30% was for the outside world, given that we were living in the global world.

Mr Davis asked how do you measure pride scientifically and with methodology. He agreed that DoC communicates to people, but differed with her view that parties were running around like headless chickens during elections as it was not the business of government to drive party policies.

Ms Abrahams said government was made of political parties, for instance, the DA says the ANC government has failed. DoC was not using government funds to drive party work, but it was a fact that it was an ANC government which will be in power for a number of years to come.

Mr Davis said that the deputy minister cannot distinguish between parties and state and government. The World Cup and Nelson Mandela was genuine outpouring of pride. However, when things happen like Marikana and parliament last week during the State of the Nation Address (SONA), how was national pride engendered if the reality says the opposite? It seems that the DoC was proposing to make people miraculously to become pride-manufactured when the reality was the opposite.

The Chairperson said the meeting was being diverted to a reaction and counter reaction. It was becoming a common practice that political questions arise when officials were present. This means it is imperative for the political head to be present to answer political questions.

Deputy Minister Ndabeni- Abrahams said the DoC responsibility was to give information to the public. On parliament; it was the duty of DoC to educate the public on the rules of parliament and how it works under normal circumstances. The government was working with the mining companies to ensure that the widows and children of the victims of Marikana get jobs and go to school respectively. It was important to talk to our people so that policies and laws talk to their needs. Pride about Mandela and the World Cup was driven by the SABC which was part of the DoC. Parliament was a representation of political parties which means that a party that wins elections becomes government. As government it makes decisions which are presented to the legislature for approval - with other parties who contested and lost the elections. The ANC-led government was something that cannot be taken away just as the Western Cape was led by DA, but SA was led by ANC. The policies adopted in the country were ANC policies. Being the leader of the country, its policies were presented in the legislature for approval. She had never heard anybody coming with an alternative plan, but only criticizing what has been developed by the ANC. That is why citizens entrust the ANC to run the government rather than other parties. As far as implementation, problems were there. That is why DPSA and Department of Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration (DPME) including heads of departments must crack the whip on the implementation of policies as raised by the President during the SONA presentation.

Mr M Kalako (ANC) said to refer to the presentation and what the Department was trying to do as “social engineering” was too harsh unless his interpretation of social engineering was different. To be a proud South African was more important for everyone given the history of 350 years of segregation into racial and ethnic groups. To be South African must be paramount rather than religion or being Zulu or Xhosa. People must not be told where to stay in terms of ethnicity. That practice must be burned totally. DoC must propagate “to be proudly South African” and South Africans must work hard to reach their destiny. Americans were proud Americans because of propaganda driven by government. The British even tells the Welsh and Scottish that they are British first. Commercial press was always against the government that was why GCIS must communicate government work especially in rural areas where commercial press was unavailable and they rely on radio. If we are not careful, SA will regress to racial conflict especially if public representatives do not behave carefully. DoC did not present social engineering. South Africa cannot rely on private media. In Western Cape, DA has its own propaganda machinery. However, when done by national government, the DA emphasizes it as something different which was to be expected from the opposition. DoC must educate citizens on the democratic constitution and wash away the apartheid mind. DoC must not allow a situation of deliberate misrepresentation of facts and allow these to go unchallenged.

Progress Report on National Communication Strategy 2014-2019
Mr Liphoko said the expectation of the strategy was that improved communication and marketing will promote an informed citizenry and also assist the country to promote investments, economic growth and job creation. The twenty years of democracy raised expectations and this was now the second phase of transition to a national democratic society. Interest in public life and developments should be nurtured. We cannot afford youth apathy. We must engage effectively with young people and leverage their energy and hopefulness to build South Africa for the future. The strategy was driven by government priorities: employment creation, improving health and education, fight against crime and corruption, rural development and land reform, access top housing, social cohesion and a better Africa for all. DoC seeks to intensify engagement with communities, partner with the public broadcaster, strengthen intra government communication as well as international communication. Government cannot rely on mainstream media but must include poster campaigns, broadcasting, publications such as Vuk’uzenzele, izimbizo, social media, media briefings, community radio, Thusong service centres and parliamentary constituency offices to reach to citizens.

GCIS was to lead in consultation with communication clusters, the development of an annual communication plan that reflects and supports key priorities of government and campaigns. Twenty examples of key campaigns by DoC in conjunction with clusters or lead departments included matric exams and release of their results, 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children, Batho Pele Excellence Awards, and disability rights awareness.

Discussion
Mr Davies asked if the 70% of South African stories in the previous presentation was not the “70% good story to tell” of Hlaudi Motsoeneng. If it meant local content, yes, then 70% South African stories. He asked the difference between the transition to a national democratic state and the current constitutional democracy. The document used the ANC slogan “moving South Africa forward” even though the Deputy Minister had earlier denied that DoC was driving party politics. Government and Parliament were different and in using the slogan, it reveals everything she had denied. In a media briefing, Hlaudi berated cabinet for advertising in publications that were not “progressive”. Was it a policy for DoC to choose where to advertise: whether progressive and non progressive publications? Why was the Minister of Communications removed from chairing the cabinet briefings and this role given to DPME Minister, Jeff Radebe?

Mr R Tseli (ANC) said a lot had been done in implementing the strategy which was laudable. If Members bring in political questions and expect to be responded in a particular way, they were wrong. There was no need to apologise for the use of the “better life for all” slogans because it was an ANC-led government. Issues raised by Mr Davis should be raised in chamber. The DoC must increase utilisation of Thusong service centres and parliament constituency offices than letting people go to provincial offices about issues that can be resolved even at municipal level.

Ms V van Dyk (DA) said there was selective information that government want to broadcast, for example, with SONA and the signal jamming.  

Deputy Minister Ndabeni- Abrahams replied that parliament was to hold a briefing on what happened about the signal jamming. DoC was dealing with information, devices were dealt by DTPS and state security. Its work was print and broadcast. 70% was local content. DoC has a responsibility to inform citizens about everything in the way they were supposed to be informed - whether good or bad. For example, this government through this department was not doing well. As government, it carries an electoral mandate with a manifesto that must be implemented based on the election mandate. There was nothing sinister about the DoC using the ANC slogan because it was an ANC-led government which DoC will never be apologetic about. It was using the slogan chosen by the electorate, not the ones rejected by the electorate. She cannot respond to Hlaudi’s statement because she had better things to do than respond to individual statements. DoC was able to communicate for itself and would not ask anybody to communicate on its behalf. A cabinet spokesperson was a person who speaks on behalf of cabinet. The chair was the President and there was nothing wrong with the spokesperson of cabinet residing in the Presidency. National democracy was the first phase and the second phase includes economic freedom as raised by President Zuma in SONA. There were certain things that still belong to the minority that need to be shared to all citizens. There were few people with access to mining rights, tertiary education and health services. Guided by the Freedom Charter, the ANC will ensure equality for all.

Ms Phumla Williams, DoC Deputy Director General: Corporate Services, said in past years, DoC had observed that South Africans cannot differentiate between municipal, provincial and national government, emanating from a lack of information. The five year document had to be embraced and talked to every year shared with all provinces, urging municipalities to communicate something evident. Municipalities must not fool people about the services available. MDDA was created by this Committee for funding of community radio stations that were dying from lack of business advertising spend. Government advertising spend was the only way to boost media diversity through advertising spend. Government departments face funding challenges and partnering with community radio stations help community radio stations to be self sufficient. Taking SA forward involves all South Africans in making progress with this country. The slogan makes sense and everyone should embrace it to make South Africa a better place to live in.

Mr Davis was surprised to hear that SABC “must tell stories as they are” and asked if the Deputy Minister agreed with Hlaudi’s editorial policy. If MDDA was created to enhance sustainability of community radio, why did the DoC spend R10 million on the 153 000 readership of the New Age newspaper if it wants to achieve media diversity? There was an allegation that R1.6 million worth of adverts were placed in the New Age to profile Ms Muthambi. He asked if it was true.

The Deputy Minister said she cannot answer those questions.

Mr Davis said there was no reason for a minister to pick and choose which questions to answer. Even if uncomfortable, it was still a legitimate question she must answer.

The Deputy Minister asked from which slide the questions came.

The Chairperson said this complete diversion of the meeting was completely unacceptable.

Mr Harold Maloka, DOC Deputy Director General: Communications and Content Management, said the approach on media buying was chosen based on its reach to a particular set of audience. R15 million was spent on the Times, R30 million on SABC, and R10 million on community radio stations. In the radio sector, it was interacting with emerging radio stations around the country, for example, the Capricorn FM radio station in Limpopo. Media buying also depends on the particular audience that was targeted. Current newspaper distribution was limited to towns. As government, other media alternatives must be found to reach every South African.

Mr Davis said there was no reason to spend 11% of media advertising on the New Age with such a small readership. He asked if the allegation was false about Ms Muthambi’s placement of adverts.

Mr Kalako said GCIS must come with a platform to ensure government departments advertise with the platforms it has created and there must be a uniform approach for government communicators in the various departments.

Ms Williams said 42 departments were their clients and it was engaging on alternate media platforms. The University of Pretoria was developing a core curriculum for every government communicator which will be driven by the School of Government.

Ms Nebo Legoabe, DoC Deputy Director General: Government and Stakeholder Engagement, said an induction was done for all communicators at a provincial, municipal and national level.

The Chairperson appreciated that DoC was communicating with DTPS  and about how they were packaging other posts. It would have helped to get a perspective from both DTPS and DoC. There were two Directors General, one for DoC and another one for GCIS, which must be cleared for accountability purposes. One always wants to see how all the other entities in DoC were integrated, since it was one home.

Deputy Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams thanked the Committee for the inputs made to contribute positively to what was happening in the country. She invited Members to forward their twitter accounts to gov.za, including their Facebook pages. A mobile application gov.za was launched which Members should download on their phones.

Meeting was adjourned.