Chairperson, good afternoon Minister, hon members, it was my brief in this Budget Vote to debate and clarify the role of the GCIS.
The objective of the GCIS is to articulate our government's mandate and its implementation thereof. In other words, the role of the GCIS is to report on the achievements of government in order to inform the public. The GCIS adopts the following approach in order to execute its task: The GCIS provides leadership in government communication and ensuring a better performance by the communication system. It takes responsibility for ensuring that government is communicating interactively with the public and for the communication of government's vision and approaches to broad areas.
It strengthens and integrates government's communication system by consolidating co-ordination forums such as the government communication forums. It further enhances the communication environment within which the GCIS operates and contributes to the monitoring of government activities - a function often understated and overlooked.
The GCIS builds a framework for communication partnerships informed by an encompassing vision around common development objectives. It takes responsibility for promoting partnerships among all communicators inside and outside of government in articulating a shared vision and value system for a caring society and in broadening access to the means of receiving and imparting information. This includes improving relations with the media and with communicators in parastatal bodies and in the private sector, including international marketing efforts. In other words, the GCIS works towards an active partnership among the country's communicators.
It further seeks to promote awareness of opportunities brought about by democracy and how to access them. This, fellow colleagues, is perhaps the most crucial function of the GCIS. The GCIS ensures the provision of the basic information to the public about the rights of citizens and how to take advantage of government's socioeconomic programmes. The izimbizo programme continues to demonstrate the value of face-to-face communication as the most appropriate means of communicating across government. Hundreds of izimbizo were held in which the national executive mayors, premiers and councillors interacted with communities in every corner of our country. This is a clear indication that our democracy is reaching a higher level, as the executive regularly gets the opportunity to listen to and be heard by our citizens. All matters raised during the izimbizo receive urgent attention from government through the GCIS.
The GCIS manages and co-ordinates partnerships and stakeholders in support of provincial directorates and provides strategic guidance and support to provincial offices to strengthen the government communications system locally. Given the critical role of the regional environment and the development of our continent, the GCIS encourages and actively collaborates with other departments across government and society to enhance public awareness of developments in the region and on the continent, and promotes engagement with regional and continental institutions and programmes. It also articulates and markets the benefits of African development to both our country and continent. The GCIS also develops strategies for publicising key campaigns and events. Examples of such events are the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children and, of course, the 2010 Fifa World Cup. It also provides information on the general process of policy development and implementation.
The prompt release of information to electorates is crucial in shaping their voting preferences. The sharing or transfer of information relating to the achievements - or for that matter, nonachievements - of government contributes to their decision-making. Voters, as we saw in the recent national general election, respond positively to reliable, valid and comprehensive information. The outcome of the national general election is testimony to this. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]