Hon Chairperson, let me begin by expressing the IFP's support for this Budget Vote. We do so because of our recognition of the important role that the Government Communication and Information System, GCIS, plays in communicating government's intentions, and informing the public at large about the various programmes and services of the government.
Secondly, we support this Budget Vote because we want to encourage hon Minister Chabane, who has lived up to the promises he made last year that this government would be open to positive ideas and responsive to constructive criticism. [Applause.]
I say this because a number of issues and proposals we made last year were actually followed up and something we complained about - such as the abuse of taxpayer money by egocentric MECs who sought to profile themselves at the expense of non-partisan government programmes and services - seems to have been nipped in the bud and discouraged, at least in KwaZulu-Natal.
Thirdly, we support this Budget Vote because the chief executive officer of the GCIS, Mr Themba Maseko, and his staff have exceeded our expectations by engaging with us and improving with regard to the criticisms we levelled against the functioning of the GCIS and the entire government communication effort in the national, provincial and local spheres of government.
We say this notwithstanding the fact that challenges in improvement remain, particularly in the provinces and among municipalities. We recognise the fact that they cannot actually dictate to the provinces and municipalities what needs to be done in these spheres of government in order to ensure that the public they serve within their areas of jurisdiction and influence receive better communication outcomes than is generally the case at the moment.
Let me go on to point to the challenges in improving the services that the GCIS is meant to deliver to the public. I do not know how the Thusong Service Centres are actually managed on a day-to-day basis, but I do know that they fall under the broad ambit of the GCIS. I say this because a number of these centres, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, leave much to be desired.
There appears to be a lack of proper planning and co-ordination in that there are a number of these centres, such as the one in Tulwane in the Nkandla District, which were constructed and launched but have remained closed since their launch. One cannot help entertaining the feeling that maybe they were launched during the election campaign while their long-term sustainability had not been fully considered.
What compounds this problem is the proliferation of similar centres in the same areas. Some are called Thusong Centres. A few paces from one Thusong Centre there is another centre called a One-Stop Service Centre doing exactly the same thing that the Thusong Service Centres are supposed to do.
For example, in the KwaShange traditional area there was already an operational One-Stop Community Service Centre. But literally just across the road, in Lindela, in the KwaNxamalala traditional area, a more posh Thusong Service Centre was built and launched in the vicinity of other similar centres run by the KwaZulu-Natal department of social development in the run-up to the elections.
To render it fully operational, staff - I suppose from the department of social development - were removed from the already operational centre across the road in the KwaShange traditional area. As a result, I have been led to understand that the KwaShange centre was left limping along and eventually closed down. While this was happening, about 10 kilometres away another centre was erected in the KwaMagwaza traditional area and was launched with much fanfare by the department of social development, but has remained closed ever since then.
Quite clearly, a good measure of rationalisation was necessary and could have prevented the proliferation of institutions of a similar nature. What is more, such a manner of government delivery could quite unintentionally heighten tensions among our communities, which have in the past been prone to faction-fighting.
I would be happy, hon Minister, if the GCIS could investigate the proliferation of these centres - which are doing one and the same thing and which are poaching staff members from here to there but all in the same vicinity - which would enable the GCIS to come up with a strategy which would prevent the squandering of scarce financial resources at the disposal of the government.
Lastly, we thank the Media Development and Diversity Agency for the efforts that it has made. We know that it is underfunded. We would ask that funding for the MDDA be improved, because in KwaZulu-Natal pay-TV was launched and is operational through the efforts of the MDDA. This promotes media diversity and it needs to be supported in a big way. I thank you, hon Chairperson. [Applause.]