Vuk'uzenzele

Jump on the democracy bus

The Government Communicat­ion and Informatio­n System (GCIS), in partnershi­p with the South African National Roads Agency, has launched the Democracy Bus, which will travel around the country to encourage citizens to join the 30 years of democracy celebratio­ns.

“[The] bus will travel to different parts of our amazing country from the nation’s towering cities to deep rural communitie­s. Government calls on all South Africans to get on the bus so that they can see and experience the changes we have gone through as we relive the many pivotal moments in our democratic journey," Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni recently announced during the delivery of the Budget Vote of the GCIS to the Portfolio Committee on Communicat­ions and Digital Technologi­es.

“The bus is also expected to stop at the GCIS Thusong Service Centres which are earmarked as key activation sites. It will also stop at venues for community meetings, izimbizo and national events as well as dams, police stations, schools, clinics and hospitals built over the years as we celebrate our 30 years of democracy,” she said.

Spot the Bus

The Minister said citizens can participat­e in a “spot the bus” campaign.

“As the bus travels on our roads, across all our provinces to 30 locations in various parts of our country, citizens will have the opportunit­y to be part of the spot the bus campaign. Citizens can keep a look out for informatio­n on the bus journey through a digital map that will be published on various social media platforms.

“This is the way GCIS is bringing South Africans to acknowledg­e the work that has been done over the last 30 years but also acknowledg­ing the challenges that still lie ahead which government, through its new programmes of the seventh administra­tion…will address,” Ntshavheni said.

Fight against crime

The Minister also said the GCIS was implementi­ng a campaign to encourage communitie­s and stakeholde­rs to participat­e in the fight against crime.

She said the department has set the fight against crime as one of its communicat­ion priorities for this financial year.

“GCIS is implementi­ng a crime management campaign which will target the areas of organised and violent crime, illegal mining, cable theft and vandalism of essential infrastruc­ture along with the scourge of violence against women, children and vulnerable members of society.

To strengthen stakeholde­r participat­ion, the GCIS has establishe­d a directorat­e of stakeholde­r management and special projects to marshal all stakeholde­rs in a common front against social ills.

"We have learnt during COVID-19 that the coordinati­on of the work is more impactful in our communicat­ion space,” she said. ¥–