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The Portfolio Committee on Communications today concluded its four-day strategic-planning workshop, which was held in Stellenbosch from Sunday, 23 April 2017.

After listening to presentations from the Department of Communications, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and entities on their mid-term strategic framework objectives, the Committee strongly recommended that the department, GCIS and entities fill vacant executive-level positions.

“The challenge with acting managers is that they are often reluctant to take certain strategic decisions, which results in poor performance by the department or entities. The Department of Communications and the GCIS have been struggling to fill Director-General positions, which is a cause for concern,” said Mr Humphrey Maxegwana, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications.

The Committee was concerned about the number of vacant executive positions at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the Film and Publication Board (FPB), the Department of Communications, the GCIS, and the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).

The posts of Group Chief Executive Officer, Head of Internal Audit and Chief Operating Officer are vacant at the SABC. The FPB has suspended the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operational Officer and the Chief Financial Officer is serving a notice of resignation. The GCIS has a vacancy for the post of Director-General and the MDDA has vacancies for a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer and a Chief Operational Officer.

The Committee has resolved to engage further on its own mid-term strategic framework objectives to ensure that they are coherent and aligned with Parliament’s strategic-outcome-oriented goals. Mr Maxegwana said the phrasing of these objectives was important to avoid ambiguity about how they will be measured.

Issued by Parliamentary Communications Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Mr Humphrey Maxeqwana