Report: Deliberations on the Budget Vote 9: Government Communication & Information System (GCIS), & Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA), dated 26 April 2012
Communications and Digital Technologies
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on
its deliberations on the Budget Vote 9: Government Communication and
Information System (GCIS), and Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA),
dated 26 April 2012
The Portfolio Committee on Communications,
having considered the Strategic Plans and Budgets of GCIS and the MDDA, reports
as follows:
1.
Introduction
Section 55(2) of
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, states that
the National Assembly must provide for mechanisms (a) to ensure that all
executive organs of state in the national sphere of government are accountable
to it; and (b) to maintain oversight of (i) the exercise of national executive
authority including the implementation of legislation; and (ii) any organ of
state. In terms of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999, the Accounting
Officers must provide Parliament or the relevant legislature with their
respective institutions medium-term strategic plan and where applicable with
its annual performance.
The
Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters
Act was promulgated in 2009, by which it vests powers to Parliament to reject
or recommend budgets of departments, it also makes provision for the
implementation of recommendations emanating from the committees oversight.
The Minister in The
Presidency: Performance Monitoring and Evaluation tabled the Medium Term
Strategic Plan of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
and the Strategic Plans for the GCIS entity (MDDA) for 2012-2017 on 7 March
2012. The Committee held briefings with GCIS and its entity on 9 March 2012.
In performing its
constitutional mandate, the Committee scrutinized the alignment of strategic
plans (2012-2017) of GCIS and its entity with the following key government
objectives, (i) 2012 State of the Nation Address; (ii) budget statement; (iii)
governments five priorities (health, education, employment, rural development,
fighting crime and corruption); and (iv) National Development Path.
In doing so, the
Committee would ultimately ensure the writing of the new story of
The above
fundamental objective served as governments underlying programme of action.
The Committee wanted to establish whether the funds allocated would help to
transform programmes into actual service delivery action plans throughout the
country, particularly in rural and underserviced areas, and beyond.
Oversight visits
conducted by the Committee in 2011-2012 to the Eastern Cape, Free State,
KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga remained an
important tool to measure service delivery in practice toward requisite budget
allocations.
The transformation of print
media Indaba and the ongoing discussions with the advertising industry also
assisted the Committee to respond to issues emanating from the above-cited
oversight visits.
2.
Government
Communication and Information System
(
GCIS)
R429 095 000.00
The GCIS Chief
Executive Officer, Mr Jimmy Manyi
, presented an
overview of the Strategic Plan of the GCIS. The mandate of the GCIS is to
provide strategic leadership in government communication and coordinate a
government-wide communication system that ensures that the public is
continuously informed of government programmes and policies in a manner that
would improve their lives. This would essentially ensure alignment with the
national government agenda to support the five priorities of government, which
are the key focus areas for the GCIS programmes.
In addition to the Deputy Minister in the Presidency,
Honourable Obed Bapela, the following officials from the GCIS appeared before
the Committee on 9 March 2012:
Mr Jimmy Manyi - Chief Executive Officer (CEO): GCIS
Mr Vusi Mona Deputy CEO: GCIS
Ms Phumla Williams Deputy CEO: GCIS
Chief Directors of various programmes.
The GCIS has the following programmes with their
allocated budget and medium term outputs:
2.1 Programme 1. Administration R170 839 000.00
The purpose of the programme is to provide overall
management and support for the GCIS, through sub-programmes, which include:
strategic planning and programme management; human resources; information
management and technology; the Chief Financial Officer who provides the
financial; and supply chain management services and internal auditing to
improve risk management, control and governance processes.
2.2 Programme 2.
Communication and Content Management 109 087 000.00
The purpose of the programme is to provide strategic
leadership in government communication to ensure coherence, coordination,
consistency, quality, impact and responsiveness of government communication. It
focuses on government communication training and development, policy and
research, content and writing, as well as marketing and distribution.
2.3 Programme 3.
Government and stakeholder Engagement 116 524 000.00
The purpose of the programme is the implementation of
development communication through mediated and unmediated communication, as
well as sound stakeholder relations and partnerships. The programme functions
include provincial and local liaison, oversight responsibility to the Media
Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), cluster supervision which coordinates
Cabinet cluster communications including advice and support to departments, as
well as media engagement which is the key driver of interaction between
government and the media. The media engagement sub programme further seeks to
ensure effective liaison between ministers and media, good relationships with
foreign and independent media, as well as good relations with South African
missions and the Brand South Africa (BSA) country managers, with the view of
dissemination of government information.
2.4 Programme 4.
Communication Service Agency 32 645 000.00
The purpose of the programme is to provide media
bulk-buying services and media production for the entire national government.
Its functions are composed of two sub programmes being media production and
media bulk buying. The media production produces graphic designs, videos,
photographs and radio programmes in support of government communication
programmes, whereas the media bulk buying sub programme provides media bulk
buying expertise to government communication programmes, GCIS, together with
other government departments.
3. Challenges
Challenges that were identified remain the public
perception of government performance pertaining to the five priorities. A
further critical constraint is office space, which the GCIS seek to address as
it will be relocating to new premises by May 2012. The insufficient media bulk
buying is endeavoured to be significantly improved through an in-house media
buying for government, whereby the infrastructure development programme include
public-private partnership where government will extensively procure from the
private sector and in the process, create employment and contribute to the
better life of all South African.
4. Financial
management
There is an overall increase of 17.8% of the total budget for all four
government programmes for 2012/13. This is mainly as a result of the relocation
of official headquarters from
Included in the communication and content management budget is: (i) the
cost of tracker system to monitor media coverage and evaluate impact of
governments message, and (ii) content generation mainly meant for Vukuzenzele
newspaper and Public Sector Manager Magazine (PSM).
The method of distribution of the Vukuzenzele is currently being
reviewed.
5. Media
Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) - R 52 208 000.00
Transfers received: R44 834 000.00 &
Non-tax revenue: R7 374 000.00
The MDDA was set up in terms of the MDDA Act, 2002
(Act 14 of 2002) to enable historically disadvantaged communities and
individuals to gain access to the media.
Its mandate is to: (i) create an enabling environment for media
development and diversity which reflects the needs and aspirations of all South
Africans, (ii) redress exclusion and marginalisation of disadvantaged
communities and persons from access to the media and the media industry, and
(iii) promote media development and diversity by providing support primarily to
community and small commercial media projects.
Its objectives are to ensure that all citizens can
access information in a language of their choice and to transform media access,
ownership and control patterns in
The following officials from the MDDA appeared before
the committee:
Ms Gugu Msibi Chairperson of MDDA
Mr Lumko Mtimde Chief Executive Officer
Mr Jimmy Manyi Board Member
Nadia Bulbulia Board Member
Thato Mahapa Board Member
Phenyo Nonqane Board Member
Renee Alicia Smith Board Member
Ingrid Louw Board Member
Phelisa Nkomo Board Member
Mshiyeni Gungqisa Board Member
Nkopane Maphiri Programs Director
Hariet Mhlanga Executive Secretary.
The MDDA has the following key result areas:
5.1 KRA 1: Grant funding R30 654 000.00
Emphasis is placed
on projects funded and licensing of ICASA, together with strengthening content
development. This is toward promoting and strengthening the small commercial
print and community media to enhance its sustainability, as well as adopt
capacity building interventions for beneficiary organizations and communities
together with mentorship.
5.2 KRA 2: Fundraising and resource mobilization R4
495 000.00
To strengthen, grow
and protect the MDDA capital base, therefore increase the funding and resource
base of the MDDA and its beneficiaries, also to strengthen relations with MDDA
contractual and non-contractual stakeholders. Strategic focus is placed on increasing
the level of transfers and funding revenue streams, and also access more
funding from SETA for training and engagement in this regard has taken place
with Nemisa and Institutions of Higher Education.
5.3 KRA 3: Research, knowledge management, monitoring
and evaluation
R3 593 000.00
This is toward
enhancing innovation and learning in the sector. Research seminars,
dissemination of research reports, publishing of two journals annually, conduct
learning forums with project beneficiaries, and very importantly track
legislative and policy issues pertaining to the media.
5.4 KRA 4: Advocacy for media development and diversity
R2 720 000.00
To contribute
towards improving the operating environment of the community and small
commercial media sectors, enhance and position the MDDA as a leader in media
development and diversity, and to promote media literacy and the culture of
reading. In this instance the MDDA particularly seeks to address the review of
ICASA regulations governing the community broadcasting sector, possible
amendments to the
Media Development and Diversity
Agency Act 14 of 2002, develop partnerships with the Marketing and Advertising
and Communications (MAC) Charter Council process and Advertising Media
Association of South Africa (AMASA) to lobby advertising and marketing
industry, as well as engage AMASA on advertising training programmes.
During the Committee oversight visits to various
provinces a number of challenges amongst others definition of community media
were identified and recommendations were made by the Committee, wherefore the
MDDA endeavours to address in this area.
5.5 KRA 5: Other Objectives R10 746 000.00
To enhance and
improve programming, production and build capacity in community broadcasting
sector.
6. Challenges
Sustainability of
funded projects remain an ongoing challenge mainly due to insufficient
financial support by mainstream print media to the community print, as well as
insufficient financial support from all spheres of government to sustain the community
media through placing of advertisements that advocates government programmes
and activities. The poaching of staff by well established media houses remains
a risk to the sustainability of community media.
This was also
identified during the Committees oversight visits in 2011-12 to the
7. Recommendations
7.1
The
Committee is satisfied with the GCIS Strategic Plan 2012-2017 and
accordingly support it.
7.2
The
Committee
supports the MDDA Strategic Plan and Budget MTEF 2012-2015, however recommends
that:
·
Government departments, municipalities and state entities
should contribute a certain percentage of their advertising budget allocation
towards advertising through community media to support its long-term
sustainability; and
·
Legislative and policy review should be conducted,
particularly to address challenges in the sector, related to sustainability and
licence conditions.
Report to
be considered.
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