Voorsitter, agb lede van die Nasionale Vergadering en dames en here, as iemand ooit gedink het die Departement van Kommunikasie se portefeuljekomitee is maklik, wil ek net s dit is inderdaad nie lekker en sommer net "easy and relaxing" [maklik en ontspannend] nie. Eersters spreek ek graag waardering uit vir die besondere wyse waarop die agb Dene Smuts die DA se standpunt in die Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie uitgedra het.
Een van die kerndinge in elke mens se lewe is sy vermo om te kommunikeer. Deur te kommunikeer kan die mens sy behoeftes, sy verlange, waardering en dank uitspreek. Kommunikasie loop soos 'n goue draad deur elke mens se lewe. Deur sinvolle kommunikasie kan misverstande uit die weg geruim word en kan verskillende bevolkingsgroepe leer om mekaar te begryp en begrip te h vir mekaar, om mekaar beter te leer ken. Gebrekkige kommunikasie lei ook tot misverstande, met tragiese gevolge. Die vrye vloei van ongefiltreerde inligting tussen die onderskeie regeringstrukture, individue en gemeenskappe lei tot kennis en begrip. Die individu word die kans gegun om ingeligte besluite te neem. Die inligting moet helder, duidelik en die waarheid wees. Die inligting moet s oorgedra word dat misverstande nie kan ontstaan nie.
Kommunikasie is in enige regering se hande 'n magtige instrument. Indien 'n regering telkens net uit 'n hovaardige, arrogante posisie van mag met die bevolking praat, word dit 'n destruktiewe mag wat vernietigende gevolge inhou - nie net vir die regering nie, maar ook vir die mense van die land.
Die Departement van Kommunikasie se bestuur van di strategiese instrument is 'n toonbeeld van die besluiteloosheid en magsbeheptheid van die ANC. Die verdeeldheid in die ANC n Polokwane is net so sterk as wat dit was vr Polokwane. Wie neem die besluite in die Departement van Kommunikasie? Die ANC en die Parlement, by name die Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie, of sommer net Luthuli-huis?
Die ANC was lank in beheer van die Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie. Waar was die leierskap van di komitee? Hulle was seker te bang om iets te doen, omdat hulle bang was dat dit hul posisie in die ANC sal benadeel. [Tussenwerpsels.] Almal het gewag vir die gebeure by Polokwane. S jy iets, is jy aan Thabo Mbeki se kant. S jy niks, is jy aan Jacob Zuma se kant. Laasgenoemde, dink die DA, is die rede vir die wanordelike situasie in die Departement van Kommunikasie. Die swye vr die gebeure by Polokwane en die watertrappery n Polokwane het Suid-Afrika verlam- 'n verlamming wat die ANC nog duur te staan gaan kom. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DER BERG: Chairperson, hon members of the National Assembly and ladies and gentlemen if anyone ever thought the portfolio committee of the Department of Communications was easy, I just want to say it is actually not just nice and very easy and relaxing. Firstly, I want to express my appreciation for the exceptional manner in which the hon Dene Smuts expressed the DA's standpoint in the Portfolio Committee on Communications.
One of the core things in every person's life is the ability to communicate. Through communication one can express one's needs, desires, appreciation and gratitude. Communication runs like a golden thread through every person's life. Meaningful communication can clear up misunderstandings and teach different population groups to understand and learn about each other, to get to know each other better.
Poor communication also leads to misapprehension, with tragic results. The free flow of unfiltered information between the various government structures, individuals and communities leads to knowledge and understanding. The individual is afforded the opportunity of taking informed decisions. The information must be clear, explicit and the truth. The information must be transferred in such a way as to avoid any misconception.
Communication is a powerful instrument in any government's hands. If a government continually speaks to its citizenry from a haughty, arrogant position of power, this will become a destructive force with devastating results - not only for that government, but also for the people of that country.
The Department of Communications' management of this strategic instrument is a model of the ANC's indecision and obsession with power. The division among the ANC after Polokwane is just as strong as it was before Polokwane. Who takes decisions in the Department of Communications - the ANC and Parliament, to wit the Portfolio Committee on Communications, or simply Luthuli House?
For a long time the ANC had control over the Portfolio Committee on Communications. Where was the leadership of that committee? They were surely too scared to do anything, because they were scared it might adversely affect their position within the ANC. [Interjections.]
Everyone was awaiting developments at Polokwane. If you said something, you were on Thabo Mbeki's side. If you said nothing, you were on Jacob Zuma's side. The DA believes the latter to be the cause of the chaotic situation in the Department of Communications. The silence before and treading water after Polokwane paralysed South Africa. This paralysis will cost the ANC dearly yet.]
The DA wants to state it very clearly: The Budget Vote on the Department makes for disturbing reading material. I spoke in previous parts of my speech about the lack in terms of decision-making. They did not know which ANC cadres to deploy in the Department of Communications. The proof of it lies within the Department of Communications itself: The high vacancy rate, especially in critical positions. As at 31 March 2008 the vacancy rate was at 44,6%. A figure that increased over a four-year period from 13,4%.
The director-general also resigned earlier this year before her term ended. Furthermore, out of a leadership team of eight people, four of them are acting, including the acting director-general, Ms Gerda Grabe. This indecision in the ANC sends the wrong signal to the broader communication world.
In the internal audit committees there were problems with the internal audit plan. In 2005 the Auditor-General described the internal audit committee as ineffective. The internal audit report for 2008-09 will only be available towards the end of 2009. And this raises questions about the effectiveness of the internal audit committee. If the Department of Communications cannot manage its own internal financial situation, it is clear why entities like the SABC - an entity reporting to the Ministry - struggle to make ends meet.
Reading Vote 24, the Communications budget summary, is like watching a horror movie. [Laughter.] The aim of the Department of Communications sounds so wonderfully idealistic:
The aim of the Department of Communications is to develop ICT policies and legislation that create favourable conditions for accelerated and shared sustainable economic growth that positively impact on the wellbeing of all South Africans.
You need leadership to do that and to take the appropriate action at the right time. As I said, the aim is wonderful. To make it visual: If the aim is showing that they must go south, the Department of Communications is heading west, then east, or even north. Over a period of five years the Department of Communications has restructured its programmes about four times. Continuity is poor and this makes it difficult to track changes made in these programmes over a period of time.
Oh, my word, what a comedy of errors! [Laughter.] It is like dropping the ball at first slip within three consecutive balls. It should have been a hat trick. They change direction and nobody knows when and where and by whom the decision was taken. Where are they heading now? Where to now? Is it east, west, south or north?
In a document of Parliament, dated May 2009, it reads:
Therefore Parliament should assess the effectiveness of this constant restructuring and recommend that the department adopt broader changes that will accommodate new developments without major restructuring of programmes and subprogrammes.
The DA supports this initiative. But, as we know, the Department of Communications has the ability to change direction within broader parameters. The Department of Communications cannot keep spending the taxpayer's money on policy developments. The Medium-Term Expenditure estimate for 2009-10 on policy development is R94,2 million. Somewhere they must start to use that huge amount of money on implementation, so that the people of South Africa can be rewarded. They have to see, hear and feel the results.
Another awaiting factor that is characteristic of the insecurities in the Department of Communications is the outsourcing of its core activities: R96,3 million is allocated for the 2008-09 financial year. Maybe the Department of Communications is setting an example for the other state- owned entities. A total of R96,3 million for consultants and professional services, business and advisory services, legal cost and contractors, because the ANC cadres within the Department of Communications cannot do their jobs. [Interjections.]
I have spoken on the matter of the development of policies for all the different programmes of the Department of Communications. We all know that the communications fraternity is a fast-developing sector. All said, you can do nothing without infrastructure to make your plans work. The Department of Communications stated in Vote 24 that a department's expenditure on infrastructure is limited to its transfers to public entities, which undertake development.
On the other hand, entities like Sentech and the SABC said in their presentations that they can only take a few steps forward according to the allocated budget. The entities are now in a checkmate situation. The Department of Communications wants to deliver to the wellbeing and advantage of the people, but without broad-based infrastructure delivery it will be limited. The DA is concerned that vast areas of South Africa are without radio and television coverage, especially in the remote rural areas. The DA urges the Department of Communications to give special attention to this matter. I thank you. [Applause.]