Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong, responsible for the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) on Wednesday engaged with members of the North West provincial government where he emphasised the importance of government communications to the public.
The GCIS provides strategic communication leadership and support in government communications to all of government. It further leads government communication through the submission of a National Communication Strategy to Cabinet.
“Your responsibility as the provincial government is to implement the national policy,” Morolong said.
In his remarks to Members of the Executive Council (MECs), Morolong said Cabinet recently resolved on the review of the Government Communication Policy.
“I am here to socialise the Government Communication Policy with provincial government executives,” he said.
Morolong said in carrying out its responsibilities, the GCIS is working with the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and Brand South Africa (Brand SA).
He explained that the MDDA helps to create an enabling environment for media development and diversity that is conducive to public discourse and which reflects the needs and aspirations of all South Africans.
The MDDA, as part of its responsibilities, promotes media development and diversity by providing support primarily to community and small commercial media projects.
“Brand SA’s mandate is to make sure that South Africa is globally competitive and that it is an admired brand internationally.”
Brand SA is South Africa’s official marketing agency appointed to promote the country's reputation.
The primary objective of Brand South Africa is to develop and implement proactive marketing and communication strategies for South Africa, with and through stakeholders, to promote South Africa's competitiveness and attractiveness to both domestic and international audiences.
Following a closed session with the Deputy Minister, North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi said part of the discussions were around how to “position communications in the three spheres of government at the centre of communicating to the people”.
“Our responsibility as government is to tell people what government does,” Mokgosi said, emphasising the need for the community media to be supported.
“Departments must report on progress on how are they supporting the local media. We are going to up the game in supporting the local media, we have a responsibility as a province to support local media,” he said.
Sandile Nene, the Acting Deputy Director-General for Content Processing and Dissemination at the GCIS spoke on the Government Communication Policy and the establishment of a Task Group on Government Communications in 1995 by the then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
He explained how the GCIS was established while also unpacking to the executives the importance of communicating government messages to the public as this plays a role in improving people’s lives.
“People need to know where to go for government services,” he said.
Morolong was accompanied by GCIS senior officials, MDDA and Brand SA officials. The Deputy Minister’s day concluded by a visit to Mmabatho FM were he engaged with the listeners. – SAnews.gov.za
