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Civil rights organisation AfriForum conducted an evaluation of the websites of Provincial Government Departments. The aim of the investigation was to establish the general user-friendliness and management of the access to information of Departments via their websites.

According to Johan Nortjé, Researcher at AfriForum, a website is an internet user’s first impression of a Department and its services, and if the website is not on standard, it creates a bad impression of the general functions and capabilities of the Department.

“It is of the utmost importance that Government Departments function with transparency. The Annual Report of a Department gives the public feedback on what the Department has done or failed to do within that year. When this important document is not accessible, it is in conflict with the principle that communities should be able to actively participate in the democracy,” Nortjé said. 

The following was found in the investigation:

• Seven of 13 Departments of the Gauteng Provincial Government did not have the 2012/2013 Annual Report available. The Department of Finance requires a username and password before access can be gained to documents. It’s thus not accessible to members of the public.
• Eight out of 11 Departments of the Limpopo Provincial Government did not have the 2012/2013 Annual Report available. The Provincial Treasury’s link to the Annual Reports takes the user to nothing.
• Seven of 12 Departments of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government do not have the 2012/2013 Annual Reports available. The Department of Health website is out of order.
• 11 of 12 Departments of the Northern Cape Provincial Government did not have the 2012/2013 Annual Reports. The website of the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs was inaccessible due to maintenance, and was supposed to be active again on 17 July 2014. The website of Sports, Arts and Culture is also inaccessible.
• Ten out of twelve Departments of the Free State Provincial Government did not have the 2012/2013 Annual Reports.
• None of the Community Safety Departmental websites visited contained provincial crime stats.

AfriForum requested immediate action from the respective Departments to upload their Annual Reports, as well as to get the inactive websites operational.