[Inaudible.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY - PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND EVALUATION, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATION: Well, that sickness and the flu that I spoke about is still infecting you. So, you will have to see the doctor here.
The government will continue to support and uplift the work of the MDDA in order to make a meaningful impact in creating an enabling environment for media development and diversity. Transformation in the media is still a challenge, gender is an issue and very few editors are women. I think we also need to engage with and ask the media industry what they are doing about programmes that affirm senior reporters, senior journalists and editors.
We also have to look at how the media reports on issues of SADC and issues of the continent. There are SADC media awards, and South Africa struggles to get stories to enter that competition. In June, when the SADC heads of states will be meeting, you will find that we will not win any prizes because we do not have stories that talk about cross-border issues, SADC integration, SADC communities, SADC issues of economy because the media in South Africa is domestically focused. It does not look at the integration of the region and yet it ought to be also looking at those particular stories.
We also have to look at the transformation in the print media because I know there were submissions to Parliament around the issues of advertising in particular. We should follow up on those recommendations and see if advertisements cannot help the community radio stations, because the community radio stations combined have a listenership of 8 million and the commercial adverts can help. Therefore, it will not only be the government that is streaming the money, but commercial elements will also do so.
The distribution network is still a monopoly and a challenge for many newspapers. The Audit Bureau of Circulations, ABC, itself is a monopoly. So there is still a great monopoly that exists within the media space and the media industry. We need to bring those issues to the fore and ensure that we deal with them.
I want to take the opportunity to thank the MDDA partners who continue to commit their support to this particular environment. I also want to thank the board of the MDDA, which was led by Ms Gugu Msibi, who completed her five-year tenure as chairperson of the agency, and the management team led by Mr Lumko Mtimde. The agency under Ms Msibi's leadership has been able and stable, performed maximally and received unqualified audit reports. I wish the new chairperson of the agency, Ms Phelisa Nkomo, and the new board members good luck. Please maintain the standard.
In conclusion, I want to leave you with this profound quote from a Bhuddist monk:
Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
This is therefore a call to all community, commercial and public radio stations to promote and instill values of social cohesion and patriotism among people in our communities. Thank you very much. [Applause.]