South Africa: Communications Committee Puts Conditions to the Approval of Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS) Budget

The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies has put conditions on the adoption of its budget vote report on the Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS).

The committee’s conditions have been forwarded to the Standing Committee on Appropriations in terms of section 10(5) of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act 9 of 2009.

This decision was taken on the basis that the committee felt that the 2025-2030 strategic and 2025/26 annual performance plans of the GCIS as well as the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) lacked clarity and measurable targets.

The committee also believes that the GCIS’ five-year strategic plan is misaligned to the government’s Medium-Term Development Priorities. The strategy refers to the need to move to evidence-based communication without outlining what impact it will have on the country’s drive for inclusive economic growth and job creation, and how such will be measured.

The committee stands against a spray-and-pray approach to development communication which has no attendant measurable targets and cogent monitoring and evaluation framework.

As part of its conditions to the Minister in the Presidency, the committee wants GCIS to, among others, come up with a policy or legislative instrument that is going to ensure alignment, coherence and results-based measurement framework within government communication system.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Khusela Sangoni Diko, said: “The committee is recommending approval of this budget with a proviso that within the course of twelve months there is legislative reform to ensure that there is a policy instrument that guides government communications.”

Ms Diko further said that GCIS needs to fast-track reform on the laws that govern MDDA, Brand South Africa and government media spent. The committee also wants GCIS to provide quarterly performance reports on the implementation of the government communication policy framework.

These conditions extend to GCIS’ entity, the MDDA, which must provide clarity on how the it is going to be moving community radio stations to self-transmission. The committee also called on MDDA to provide a fundraising strategy with clear measurable targets.

The GCIS budget will be debated under vote 4 on Friday, 4 July 2025, in a mini plenary of the National Assembly at the Good Hope Chamber from 13:00 to 15:00

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.