Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
CAPE TOWN - Information and access to information tools are vital for nation-building. Yet in South Africa the majority of our people are not provided the right kind of information to empower themselves, communities and broader society.
Mainly, the problem stems from the elected representatives in local, provincial and national government.This includes elected representatives in Parliament, and its related organs.
It’s a curse and a crime if you think about it, that public participation events are not communicated as widely as they ought to be or shared through all media platforms, especially community newspapers, radio and TV.
Those people and groups who are familiar and have somehow been able to follow developments at all government-levels, would know that the process of communicating information to all citizens and stakeholders was long hijacked by selfish politicians and political parties.
Public participation in South Africa has become a game of the politically connected.
And even within political formation, a certain faction or sometimes individuals control the processes of hiding information and sabotage the human right for people to access governmental and public information about activities that concern their communities.
Since the beginning of the democratic breakthrough in 1994, communication between elected representatives and their constituencies has moved from being fragile to non exist, in many areas.
The role of civic organisations and civil society has been stifled by failing government bureaucrats and politicians who have little to no concern for the rights of citizens to participate and be involved in matters affecting their lives.
In a way, the devastating service delivery protests which come with destruction of public property, have caused more harm to many struggling communities throughout the country.
And the failure and lack of access to information from the government to communities has contributed greatly to various violent community protests.
So what is to be done?
The question of civic organisations and civil society groups taking legal action can bring about a faster turnaround for all failing government bureaucrats, and elected representatives.
In fact, if President Cyril Ramaphosa is serious about nation-building, he would set forth moves to prosecute all those who fail to deliver information and resources meant for the people, just as much as he has been promising with regard to the corrupt.
A performance audit of any failing departments and officials to monitor communication and access to information processes on government projects, programmes, policies and campaigns would go a long way in combating the hiding of information to the people.
On this front, as the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) had previously noted, there is also the problem of posting ads of government activities meant for disadvantaged communities in regional or national media, instead of community media in a particular community where government programmes which a public participation meeting is meant to be.
The GCIS is also supposed to assist with the provision of government information to the public including using government information entities like libraries and information centres, multi-purpose community centres and other public centres.
Government media like newspapers and information are not meant to gather dust on government shelves, but must be distributed to all areas as widely as possible.
When South Africa adopted the Constituent Assembly system after the first democratic elections in 1994, the thinking was that street committees, ward councils and committees, political committees and cells, and working committees would work together in forums to bring government and Parliament to the people.
Political parties represented in Parliament need to have constituent offices in all areas they are representing, so that all the information and work happening in the higher echelons of the public sector can be filtered down to the people and communities.
The current scenario is not tolerable for citizens who are not playing in the game they should be playing in.
The majority of the millions of our people are spectators in the affairs of their country. They are encouraged to vote in local, provincial and national government elections for political parties or representatives who continue to fail them, and rob them of information and resources acquired by money they pay tax for.
Those well paid fat cats entrusted to lead our people out of squalor, misery and underdevelopment must be made to account for the marginalisation and impoverishment they perpetuate when failing to arm and equip people with information, access to information tools and resources that are made available by taxpayers’ money.
To those public representatives who are fulfilling their mandates, please help to organise all sectors, get rid of the fault lines in the system and expose the rotten apples who are the real criminals and nation-wreckers.
* Mgudlwa is an award-winning journalist
Cape Times