Program Director
Chairperson of the NCOP, Hon. Amos Masondo
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Hon. Sylvia Lucas
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Lechesa Tshenoli
House Chairpersons
Former Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy President, Ms. Baleka Mbethe
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Mondli Gungubele
Honourable Members,
Our Distinguished Guests
Representatives of the media present
Thank you for honouring our invite and for gracing this important occasion with your presence.
Last week we had the unprecedented opportunity to convene all three arms of the State, being the Legislative Sector, the Judiciary and the Executive, for a collaborative engagement on how to strengthen parliamentary oversight as a function to improve the ability of the State to serve the citizens better.
Although the Legislative Sector Oversight Summit was essentially about how to improve practices and systems to enhance the ability of provincial and national legislatures to hold the Executive accountable, it also became very clear for those of us who were in attendance that the function of oversight was about how we all use the voice and mandate that the electorate has given us, to serve their own inspirations better.
This duty to serve the inspiration of the citizens, is also a two way street where we must constantly provide account to the public about the work that we do, and at the same time, receive feedback on the same.
This accountability and feedback is at the heart of what Members of Parliament (MPs) owe to their voters once elected.
It is for this reason that it was always important that we establish a vibrant system of communications in Parliament, including the foresight to invest in Parliament’s own media broadcasting capabilities, to support its requirement to account and interact with the citizens on its work.
The relationship between Parliament and MultiChoice
For several years now, Parliament has partnered with the MultiChoice Group, mainly through Parliament TV (Channel 408 on DSTV), which enhanced the parliamentary broadcasting capabilities. This partnership serves as a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) project by MultiChoice, underscoring their commitment to supporting parliamentary transparency and public engagement. The channel operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ensures continuous coverage of important parliamentary proceedings.
Parliament TV primarily focuses on broadcasting House sittings for eight hours a day. However, in recent years, there have been notable developments and expansions in the broadcasting services provided by Parliament. The channel currently broadcasts a wide range of proceedings, including live committee meetings, house sittings, public hearings in different provinces, and special projects.
These broadcasts are instrumental in fulfilling the constitutional mandate of conducting Parliament’s business in an open and accessible manner, thereby ensuring that citizens can witness and engage with the democratic processes.
In 2021, MultiChoice further demonstrated its dedication to the parliamentary broadcasting services by adding a fully-fledged state-of-the-art studio with a fully equipped control room (commonly known as the Final Control Centre, or FFC). This addition significantly improved the production quality and technical capabilities of Parliament TV. The studio is now used for live shows of special projects, including prominent events such as the State of the Nation Address, the Budget Speech, sectoral parliaments like the Women, Men and Youth Parliaments, and a pre-recorded weekly bulletin that highlights the upcoming parliamentary programme.
As events would have it, the initial FCC donated by MultiChoice was destroyed by the fire that razed the New Wing and the Old Assembly Building in 2022. The fire destroyed broadcasting infrastructure that cost hundreds of thousands of rands and caused a huge disruption to the normal proceedings of Parliament. However, through their kind generosity, MultiChoice has come through once again to replace the FCC, and it is part of the new studio we are unveiling today.
We are grateful to the MultiChoice Group for their unwavering support to the Parliament Broadcasting Services and for ensuring that Parliament can fulfil its mandate of facilitating public access to its work.
Program Director,
We believe that investment in new technologies for our broadcasting services also contributes to the creation of a dynamic future for Parliament’s communications capabilities, leveraging the benefit of new tools to enhance and expand our interaction with our constituents.
With the rapid advancement of communication tools, including the 4th industrial revolution and social media strategies, we have an opportunity to embrace new technologies to better connect with the public and enhance democratic participation.
The 4th industrial revolution has brought about unprecedented changes in the way we communicate and interact with one another. This technological revolution has provided us with powerful tools that can be harnessed to improve transparency, promote dialogue, and foster greater engagement between elected representatives and the public. By leveraging these advancements, Parliament Broadcasting and Communications Services can reach a wider audience and facilitate meaningful conversations on important legislative issues.
Furthermore, the rise of social media has transformed the way information is disseminated and consumed. Parliament Broadcasting and Communications Services must recognize the potential of social media to amplify the voices of the public and promote inclusive participation in the democratic process. By utilizing social media strategies effectively, parliaments can create more accessible channels for citizens to express their views, share feedback, and stay informed about parliamentary proceedings.
However, as we embrace these new technological advancements, we must also remain vigilant in protecting the integrity of parliamentary communication. Ensuring the reliability and accuracy of information is paramount in building and maintaining public trust. As such, we must implement robust mechanisms to verify the authenticity of information shared through these channels and promote responsible use of social media platforms.
Program Director,
As this democratic Parliament, we have set ourselves a distinct role of operating in the interest of the people and ensuring that our work is open to the public.
Broadcasting parliamentary proceedings publicly therefore, plays an important role in advancing one of Parliament’s key mandates, which is facilitating public access to its processes by reducing the gap and bringing public representatives closer to the citizens, civil society, and the media.
This is why we felt it important, as part of the program of events leading to this year’s SONA, to officially launch the new studio. We also celebrate a public-private partnership that stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when the state and private businesses come together in collaborative effort to serve society better.
With the launch of this new studio, Parliament has also created an additional avenue for the media, especially regional and community media, to gain access to content about the work of Parliament. This will ensure that more people are informed about our work and, thereby, can actively participate in the processes of the institution.
We welcome this new development, especially as it coincides with our celebration of 30 years of our democracy and the democratic Parliament. As we draw close to the conclusion of the sixth term of the democratic Parliament, we present this studio as a gift of progress and an important springboard for the enhancement of the work of Parliament in the 7th term and beyond.
We dedicate this new studio as symbol of the resilience of our democracy and that of Parliament as an institution. The rebuilding of this studio represents the first tangible delivery in the restoration efforts of the infrastructure that we lost in the fire disaster of 2022. It is therefore a symbol of the “Phoenix”, the ability of our people to rise, again and again, to defeat adversity. This is our gift and homage to them.
I thank You!
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