House Chairperson, Minister and Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, fellow Portfolio Committee Members, fellow Members of Parliament, invited guests
from the ICT sector, Ministers who are attending the session and fellow South Africans,we are having this Budget Vote debate one day after the birthday of a veteran, stalwart and intellectual giant of the South African and international struggle for social and economic justice, Tata Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki.
It is also month in which our leader Mama Adelaide Frances Tambo was born in 1929. We are also having this debate during the national and international July month dedicated to the Volunteer in Chief of the Defiance Campaign, founding father of the democratic South Africa and founding Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The Budget Vote happens within a context of the ANC commitment to build a national democratic society as reflected in the ANC ideological document, the strategy and tactics document as adopted by the 54th National Conference held in December 2017 which states and I quote: A national democratic society should be founded on a thriving economy and structure of which should reflect the national endowments of the country and the creativity that the
skilled population can offer. It should be an economy in which cutting edge technology, labour absorbing industrial development, a thriving small business and cooperative sector, utilisation of information and communication technologies and efficient forms of production and management all combine to ensure national prosperity.
The debate is also informed by the ANC policy positions reflected in the 54th National Conference resolutions on communications and the battle if ideas and the 2019-24 ANC Election Manifesto under the section on transforming the economy to serve the people which says: The country and the world are at a critical point in the digital revolution. We must craft our digital future and devise a national programme for innovation that will unleash the talents and creativity of South Africans. Our country must become the centre of digital transformation in Africa. Its benefits must be spread across the economy and society rather than reinforcing existing inequality.
The Budget vote debate is also informed by a decision taken by the ANC government in 2018 to reconfigure the Department of Communications and Telecommunications and Postal Services with the 13 entities namely: the South African Post Office, SAPO, Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa, USAASA, .ZADNA, Broadband Infraco, SENTECH, National Electronic and Media Institute of South Africa, NEMISA, State Information Technology Agency, SITA, SABC, ICASA, Film and Publications Board, FPB, Government Communications Information Services ,GCIS, Media Diversity and Development Agency, MDDA and Brand South Africa which reported to the two departments in 2018
A further decision was announced by President Ramaphosa in his June 2019 state of the nation address to rename the department as the Department Communication and Digital Technologies with a deadline of the end of March 2020 to have completed the integration and reconfiguration of the two departments.
Government Communications Information Services, MDDA and Brand South Africa were transferred to the Ministry in the Presidency to ensure effective coordination.
As reflected by the observations and recommendations of the Portfolio Committee report and for the Air traffic control, ATC there were two reports because the process of reconfiguration has not yet been completed but it was decided there will only be one debate.
The Portfolio Committee will play an oversight role in the reconfiguration process to ensure it happens in a manner which takes into consideration all the laws governing the sector, the country, existing skills and new skills which must be created for the country to ensure our effective participation as a country in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I see the Minister and the Deputy Minister are already in the dress code and are already in that revolution. [Applause]
The Portfolio Committee report notes a number of successes and challenges which face the department and entities reporting to the department and makes recommendations on them. Some of the issues noted by the portfolio committee are as follows: the department's plan on the digitization of government information; that government employees would be provided with digital skills;
that the Banks Act was amended and that such amendment would enable the Ministry of Communications to begin the process of amending the Postbank Act; that the Director Generals, DGs of Treasury and Communications were going to meet last week Thursday, 4July 2019 for further discussions about the SABC financial challenges that the Minister has now alluded to ongoing discussions even on Monday there engagements on the SABC; government's commitment in assisting the SABC to deal with its financial challenges; that the Department would be tabling... but obviously the issue of the strategic plan which can deal with medium short and long term sustainability of the SABC being sorted out; the department will be tabling the Broadcasting Amendment Bill in 2019-20 Financial Year which would seek to assist among others, the SABC as well as respond to the dynamics of a technology-driven sector; that the Department would soon be issuing a spectrum policy directive; the Minister had established work streams to ensure a smooth reconfiguration; and a moratorium is in place to merge possible duplicate positions as well as the skills audit instituted to evaluate skills resources available to the Department.
The Committee also noted with concern the serious financial challenges facing the SABC. The Portfolio Committee agreed when we adopted the report that the Minister will update it on progress in relation to the ongoing engagement between the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, the SABC and National Treasury on the challenges facing the