As industry pundits scratch their heads following government's shake-up of its ICT departments, there is seemingly little clarity about the role of the entities grouped under the new Department of Communications (DOC).
President Jacob Zuma yesterday announced the formation of a new DOC in his new Cabinet, saying it "will be responsible for overarching communication policy and strategy, information dissemination and publicity as well as the branding of the country abroad", but there is little clarity as to how that will be accomplished.
A separate Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services - headed by former state security minister Siyabonga Cwele - has also been set up in the Cabinet shake-up.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA, the SA Broadcasting Corporation, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS), Brand SA, and the Media Development and Diversity Agency fall under the new DOC, said Zuma.
He said the DOC will focus on "improved communication and marketing [which] will promote an informed citizenry and also assist the country to promote investments, economic growth and job creation".
However, some analysts are wary about its autonomy. ICT veteran Adrian Schofield notes "the new DOC is mostly concerned with controlling how and what South Africans see and hear".
Faith Muthambi - former Makhado municipal manager and African National Congress MP - was named as the new minister of communications. She previously served on Parliament's communications committee.
Bongani Majola, director of communications at the Presidency, says only new ministers will be able to clarify what roles their departments are set to play moving forward. "We don't have that kind of information," he adds.
Sandisiwe Gugushe, public relations manager for Brand SA, says its role under the new ministry has yet to be defined. "We still have to meet the minister before we can say how things will work."
Speaking to ITWeb, a GCIS insider notes it might take a while before new roles become clear. "What usually happens after the president's [Cabinet] announcements is that a task team is set up to look into the functions of each department. After that, the functions of the new departments will be defined."
ICASA and SABC had not responded to ITWeb's queries at the time of publishing.
'More delays'
Schofield says shaking-up government's ICT-related departments is not good for progress and momentum. "There will be a significant delay before anything happens, while the new structure is created. This includes separating the players from the 'old' DOC and its portfolio organisations, changing premises, setting up infrastructure and committees," he adds.
Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, says it would have made more sense to retain a single ICT ministry. "The very names of the new ministries invite confusion. The role of ICASA, in particular, is going to become very schizophrenic as it will have to intervene constantly on another department's turf.
"Each of the two ministries is being run by a minister whose career is not covered in glory, when we had a minister who was finally getting things done. It's as if government wants telecoms to be kept in the previous decade," adds Goldstuck.
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