Here at the New Frontier we have quite enough oomph in our communities, what we need more of is some ordentlikheid. But we take Mr Cameron’s point. And it leaves us wondering: what on earth has happened in a universe where the Tories are sounding more committed to openness, transparency and community development than the democratically elected government of South Africa. Mind you, if the blue bulls can win the Super 14 in Orlando, then we suppose anything can happen.

 

Still it is nevertheless disconcerting that the government seems not to be aware of the sea change occurring within the global media. We are in the middle of a transition from traditional forms of media, developed and controlled by the creators and producers of content, towards a situation were content is increasingly developed in collaboration with the audience. In this environment it is more important to engage in conversations than it is to tell people what to do. And trying to control the message is a non-starter.

 

Instead, the government should be attempting to influence the opinions of its interlocutors through the power of persuasion. The key to successful engagement in such conversations is authenticity. In the information age, those who lack authenticity are quickly discovered and lose both credibility and the power to persuade.

 

These ideas speak to the deepest traditions of the South African revolution. Since the adoption of the Freedom Charter, the ANC and its alliance partners have consistently promoted openness and accountability in public life. What South Africa should be doing is leading the world in using the new interactive technologies to improve access to information and consultation with citizens.

 

Instead we are engaged in a pointless debate about freedom of information and regulating the media that is so last century. To re-iterate, if the Central Intelligence Agency is unable to stop classified information being posted on Wikileaks, what chance does the South African government have of keeping information secret?

 

The danger for the government, is that it will completely miss the opportunities made possible by the new technologies and end up becoming increasingly irrelevant. The danger for South Africa, is that the goodwill and positive publicity generated by the World Cup will be squandered. It doesn’t have to be this way. It is still possible for the President to reverse course – he should start by firing those responsible for drafting this fascist law and hiring a team of people who understand the enormous potential of new media. He is running out of time.

 

Written by Patrick Brennan

 

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