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As Chief Executive Officer of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), I am duty-bound to refute a combination of media coverage and subsequent reaction by the Democratic Alliance accusing GCIS of centralising media buying with suspect motives.

The Times has irresponsibly distorted statements made by me at a community media indaba in Durban this past weekend.

At the indaba, I outlined progress in centralising government procurement of advertising in order to maximise government’s buying power – meaning, taxpayers’ money - in this sector and our plans, in conjunction with the Media Development and Diversity Agency, to ensure that community media attract State advertising.

This follows a Cabinet decision on media buying that dates back to June 2011.

While The Times detailed the full spectrum of discussion at the indaba, which dealt with many other issues, principally the development and sustainability of community media, its headline mischievously suggested that I wished to exercise “control” over where advertising would be placed.

Subsequently, the Democratic Alliance has claimed surprise at this so-called “news” and suggested it will be raising questions in Parliament about this development.

It is astounding that the DA has jumped on this sensational bandwagon, given that it was part of the Portfolio Committee that processed the GCIS strategy for 2012/13 as recently as 9 March 2012.

That occasion was, in fact, not the first on which GCIS tabled its approach to media buying to Parliament.

GCIS has previously presented these plans to Cabinet and is currently on a roadshow to provinces to discuss the plan in greater detail.

None of this should therefore be treated as new information by the DA or The Times which is represented in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

GCIS has previously spelt out the value to be derived from centralised media buying – as is the practice in a diverse democratic and media market such as India – and none of the ill intent suggested by the DA is part of this plan, which has been transparent and presented to the national legislature.

GCIS calls on The Times and the DA to desist from mischief-making that misleads the public about the outlook and operations of government communications.