Vol 17, No 1 (1998)

After three decades of research and theorizing on the information and
communication approach to development, there is no universal consensus
among researchers, academics, communication practitioners and
development experts on the age-Old question: how does communication
and information causally relate to development? What has, instead,
emerged is an alphabet soup of theories, concepts, approaches,
paradigms and models on how information and communication might
impact on development. Whether one looks at the various models of
information and communication for development; or whatever one calls it,
the theories advanced under the various acronyms still do not conclusively
address the basic question raised above. Is there a missing link, variable
or factor in all of these attempts to causally relate information and
communication to development? What assumptions are embedded in the
current theories of information and communication for development?
The, article will, by way of addressing these questions, propose an
information, communication and knowledge networking strategy that will
accommodate in a systematic way the varied and ever-changing
information and communication needs of grassroots communities. The
paper will map out a strategic vision for the information agenda for
southern Africa, with a focus on the development of a new cadre of
information agents drawn from a cross section of society, and suggest
practical down-ta-earth strategies that can be implemented to successfully.
and causally relate information, communication and knowledge to
development on a sustained basiS.

A major concem about African development is not so much that the war on
povelfy is far from being won but because the practice of development
administrators lacks professionalism. Calls for involving beneficiaries in
democratic project decision making, for conducting systematic social
science research as the basis for external intervention, and for building the
capacities of indigenous officials to reduce national dependence on
expatriate expertise have gone unheeded. Development policies,
nowadays are sound but until these are properly carried out poverty
eradication will be impOSSible. The paper argues that it will require
development communication expertise to cany out the above policies and
hence the need for development support communication experts in
development programming. The paper examines the promise DSC has for
making projects work better and urges donor agencies to incorporate it into
their projects.

In this survey of approaches to Development Communication (DC) the
position is taken that DC, like development itself, should be regarded and
studied as part of culture. A cultural perspective is particularly suited to
revisit basic DC, communication and cultural concepts that have been
obfuscated. Each of these concepts can only be understood within a
particular discourse, a framewotk of meaning-producing and sense
making, and here the cultural framing predominates. "Oldn and une~
paradigms of DC are compared and relevant policy approaches are
surveyed. The main section deals with local knowledge and cultural
contexts, and the various functions within a development situation as they
relate to communication. In conclusion the importance of "cultural
translationn which is regarded as essential to effective DC, is highlighted.

This arlicle offers some reffections on the state of development
communication in South Africa, and suggests that closer attention needs to
paid to the theoretical underpinnings of communication for development'
practices, the emerging institutional contexts and the capacity building that
is required in a rapid change situation. It suggests that academics and practitioners need to find a middle way
through the 'anything goes' and 'developmentalism' poles of the debate
about how best to use communication for development. particularly in the
light of the new Government Communications and Information Service
and the Poverly and Inequality Report.

Literature on the use of information and communication technologies
(leTs) for developmental purposes at community centres refers to these
centres in various ways, e.g. as telecentres, telecottages, community
teleservice centres, telecommuting centres, and community technology
centres. This article starts by examining this range of centres, and by
describing the activities that typically occur at such centres throughout
the world. An attempt is made to develop a typology of such centres.
Of particular interest are community telecentres where leTs are used to
promote development in rural areas. This is followed by a list of lessons
learned regarding using leTs effectively for development purposes at
rural telecentres. These lessons are illustrated through specific South
African case studies involving leT usage at rural telecentres.

Prior to the 1994 election, health care was a privilege enjoyed only by
some sectors of the community. After the election health care was
entrenched in the constitution through section 27(1) that states that
everyone has a right to have access to health seNices.
The challenge the ANC led government faces is to balance the
maintenance of tertiary care service with the simultaneous upgrading of
. primary care seNices. The strategy adopted by the Department of Health
is to regulate the industry and educate the public. Although this strategic
approach is designed to promote and provide healthcare to al/ South
Africans, it appears to be failing. According to the Economist Intelligence
Unit the health status of South Africa is the poorest of all 27 countries
measured. During the first two years of the new health care system many
crises occurred. According to the Director General of Health, some of the
crises were the result of the long neglect of apartheid while other crises
relate directly to the lack of skill in communication.
This article argues that improved communication at all levels is a
necessary prereqUisite if South Africa is to improve the health status of our
population.

The new constitution links the duties of local governments to development,
implying that the financial dilemma of local authorities caused by the
culture of non~payment for municipal services, should be seen in the light
of the deve/opment~rientated situation in South Africa. As the failures of
the authoritarian top-down development approach became evident, it is not
'8 solution to remove the electricity cables of non-payers, neither is it a
solution to modify behaviour only. The motivation behind a campaign
aiming at correcting the situation should focus on the capacity building in
the community, which is in line with participatory development and DSC
thinking. This can only be· done in a participatory situation, where
information is released about the operations of the local authority, and the
community is educated about the functions and processes taking place in
the local authority. In a workshop situation, the needs of the community
should be prioritised, in order to address those needs. It is believed that by
understanding the various functions and operations of the local authority,
attitudes of the community will change towards the local authority, and that
such change might lead to a change in the culture of non~payment.

The main discussion on the process of development communication as a
core component of a sustainable development project at the Tswaing
Crater Museum near Pretoria. The arlicle initially surveys some local
studies and lessons leamed in an effort to contextua/ise the Tswaing
project. Various approaches, such as Participatory C;ommunication, and
Development Support Communication are discussed and related to
communication structures for the project. New forces in democratisation
have contributed to the crucial role of concepts such as participation,
empowerment and emancipation. These approaches rely on normative
goals and standards set by host communities in the development of a
community's cultural identity, and act as a vehicle for people's self
expression. Socia-cultural contexts of the developmental and
communication process are therefore specifically discussed. Finally
lessons leamed provide a means of recommending possible solutions to
development communication problems.