Cape Town - Government will continue to improve its communication techniques and methods so that citizens can access its programmes with ease.
"Emphasis will be placed on delivering integrated, easily-accessible information in the languages and channels most preferred by the public, and especially the marginalised," Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane told Parliament on Wednesday, delivering the Government Communication and Information System's (GCIS) Budget Vote.
"Working with the various Directors-General, the GCIS will ensure that policy guidelines and scorecards to guide government communication are approved and implemented," Mr Chabane told the house.
Research indicates that communication efforts by government have had impact, and that the proportion of the public who feel that they are receiving "enough" information from government has significantly increased.
"Nevertheless, that proportion is still too low - and it is the poorest amongst those most in need of such information," the minister said.
The GCIS aims to meet the communication and information needs of government and the people as well as provide leadership in government communication.
It also informs the public on how government is implementing its mandate.
Mr Chabane said government's direct engagement with communities where they live will continue to be a priority.
In this light, he said, the GCIS will continue to ensure that the Izimbizo programme is used creatively as one of government's participatory democracy platforms, to build and strengthen strategic sectoral and general community partnerships.
Izimbizo is where government interacts with communities to get first hand information on the challenges they encounter.
In particular, he said, government would continue to focus on reaching rural communities in support of the rural development programme.
"We have also ensured that interactive communication is accompanied by a multimedia approach to communication, using products and platforms that meet the needs and preferences of various sectors of the population," he said.
Highlighting some of these approaches, Mr Chabane indicated that Vuk'uzenzele, distributed to disadvantaged communities and BuaNews, the government's news agency, continued to make a positive impact on many people as they focussed on opportunities, economic and other, created by government and how to access these opportunities.
"In the last financial year, there was a print run of 1.6 million on a two-monthly basis - but demand far outstrips supply. As a result the print run has been increased to 1.8 million per issue. The Braille version of Vuk'uzenzele provides information to the visually impaired," he told the house.
He also explained that GCIS will sustain this platform and channel its content through the public service African language stations to reach more and more people who must take up these opportunities.
On GCIS' usage of other technologies to communicate, Mr Chabane told MP's that the organisation had begun harnessing cellular phones as a platform with tremendous reach across the population.
Among some of the technologies, he said, MXit, a free instant messaging programme for cellphones and PCs, was used to profile the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.
The 16 Days splash screen (visual advertisement) on MXit was delivered to 2.8 million users during the campaign and some six million text messages were broadcast.
He said GCIS will endeavour to improve access and interaction on information, focusing on the work of government so that journalists are better informed of government's plans in order to be better conduits of information to the public.
"Work will continue in reducing levels of antagonism between government and some media houses by building better relations and engaging journalists on government programmes and policies aimed at building a country that belongs to all," he said.
