Minister for the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefed media after the first ordinary meeting of Cabinet on Wednesday. (Courtesy/GCIS)
- Minister for the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said ministers and their deputies would be educated on the correct communication protocols, standards and etiquette expected of them.
- She briefed reporters on Wednesday after the first regular cabinet meeting of the seventh administration.
- Ntshavheni also said Cabinet congratulated Justice Mandisa Maya on her appointment as South Africa's first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Ministers and deputy ministers of the Government of National Unity (GNU) will soon receive training on the dos and don'ts of communication, especially on social media.
Minister of the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said this was in no way an attempt to contain or regulate the way ministers communicate and engage with South Africans.
She said,
We are not necessarily going to regulate communications or social media use by Ministers, but we will instruct them on the correct communications protocol, standards and etiquette that is expected of Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
Ntshavheni was briefing reporters on Wednesday after the first ordinary cabinet meeting of the seventh Prime Minister.
She said South Africans would see more ministers and deputy ministers speaking more about government plans rather than their personal views.
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Shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed his cabinet, some ministers, including Public Works Minister Dean MacPherson, Interior Minister Leon Schreiber and Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, took to social media to claim their parties had won handily.
Ministers used Twitter (formerly known as X) to communicate and announce their departments' drastic decisions, drawing the ire of some critics.
News24 recently reported that concerns were raised at a recent ANC National Working Committee (NWC) meeting that some party leaders are afraid to engage with the media.
The situation was made worse by the failure of the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) to employ competent communicators. NWC members expressed concern that DA ministers were outperforming their ANC counterparts.
In its assessment of the GNU, the NWC determined that the ANC needed to invest in capable communicators to counter the DA’s “strategic” communications.
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On Thursday, Ntshavheni was asked whether the government plans to introduce a social media policy for new ministers and their deputies.
She said the government has a media and communications policy and procedures for government spokespeople, including ministers and MPs.
Ntshavheni added:
We have an induction ceremony for ministers and deputy ministers next week, so I think they will understand what they should and shouldn't do. We will continue to work with them, especially the new ministers, on what they should do in terms of cabinet communications policy, and social media will be part of that.
She said communication is not static and the government needs to keep up with the latest communication trends.
The Minister added: “As the number of platforms increases, we have to innovate and come up with best practices, but as GCIS, we do not want to unnecessarily hinder the ability of Ministers and Deputy Ministers to get their ministry's message across on the best platform. We are currently working with each ministry to finalise their communication plans, which will also be compiled into the cluster plan.”
She said work was being done to develop a government communications plan.
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Ntshavheni also congratulated, on behalf of Cabinet, Justice Mandisa Maya on her appointment as South Africa's first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Cabinet also congratulated the South African team who will represent the country at the Paris Olympics.
She said Cabinet had condemned the alleged violent invasion of Matshidiso Primary School in Katlehongu by religious leader Paseka “Pastor Mboro” Motsoneng on Monday.
“Cabinet takes a critical look at the actions of some community leaders which amount to intimidation of students and teachers in schools. The Department of Basic Education will continue to work with the South African Police Service to ensure schools remain safe places for learning and teaching,” she said.
On international relations, the Minister said Cabinet had also been informed of a formal dispute South Africa had filed with the World Trade Organisation against the EU’s “draconian and unnecessary” phytosanitary requirements on the control of citrus black spot and codling moth on South African citrus product exports to the EU.
She said: “The measures imposed by the EU are not a ban but they have caused significant damage to South Africa's citrus industry, estimated at R2 billion per year. While the EU has decided to impose tough measures on South Africa, it has not called for similar measures on countries in a similar situation, such as Israel.”
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The Cabinet also welcomed the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences Arising from Israeli Policies and Practices in Occupied Palestine, which unanimously confirmed that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Territories is illegal under international law.
“The ruling imposes additional legal obligations on all states to cease complicity in Israel's unlawful acts and to act to ensure respect for international law. South Africa is one of 49 UN member states that submitted a statement on this issue to the International Court of Justice in February 2024,” Ntshavheni said.
She said Cabinet also expressed concern over the ongoing unrest in Kenya and Nigeria and urged all stakeholders to find urgent solutions to the plight of the people.
Commenting on the election of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ntshavheni said South Africa was ready to expand trade and cooperation with the UK.
On South Africa hosting the G20 summit next year, he said an inter-ministerial committee had been entrusted with the responsibility of hosting the event.