Entire Document - Chris Hani District Municipality

Communication strategy
The District Communication Strategy was reviewed and workshopped with relevant stakeholders. Its implementation
progressed well during the year despite challenges ranging from staff shortages, uncoordinated communication
activities within local municipalities, to minimal resources necessary to carry out some of the activities.
Media monitoring and Environmental Assessments
Media Monitoring, which seeks to monitor how the media portrays the municipality and how the municipality is
perceived, was performed on a quarterly basis and reported. For environmental assessments the unit relies on
information from the Government Communication and Information Systems, and at times CDW coordinators. We
currently do not have the capacity to conduct these.
Media Liaison
Media liaison forms part of the implementation of the District Communications Strategy. During the period under
review, media statements were issued either to promote events or to report on the activities of Council. To maximise
community interaction and allow for feedback, talk shows and radio interviews were held in both community and
mainstream media.
Branding and Marketing
Chris Hani District Municipality undertook to standardise branding of the municipality by sourcing a service provider
to prepare branding guidelines. The guidelines are intended to maintain consistency in all branded items of the
District Municipality, thereby enhancing its image. The branding guidelines were adopted by Council in July 2008.
The unit is currently implementing branding roll-out plan which seeks to popularise the new logo and phase out the
old one. The marketing strategy is not yet in place but marketing attempts are proceeding: Advertorials have been
placed in various tourism magazines and directories to market the area as a tourism and investment destination.
Public Participation
The unit has engaged in various actions to encourage public participation in the activities of Council. The radio talk
shows with call-in time provide the municipality with the feedback that it needs; notices for Council meetings, IDP
roadshows characterised by public engagements, and the state of the district address, which is broadcast live, also
allow the public to comment.
Corporate events
The communications unit supported and participated in various events that took place during the year under review.
The support involved media liaison, marketing, branding and providing related resources, financial and otherwise,
and producing publications and promotional material. The events of note were the Chris Hani Month, IDP roadshows,
HIV and AIDS door-to door campaign, Presidential inauguration, SONA, SOPA, co-operatives indaba, ISDR Day,
Water week, Environmental Day and all institutionalised days etc.
Municipal website
The municipal website www.chrishanidm.gov.za is operational and contains information as prescribed in the MFMA
(Act 56 of 2003). The website is also intended to market the municipal programmes and is therefore updated on
a weekly basis. The intranet which serves as a platform for information sharing for our internal publics is also a
responsibility of the Communications Unit.
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