The Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Vukuzenzele Project (Government Newspaper) – Spending Review Report

Since 1999, government has extensively disseminated the content of the President’s State of the Nation Address through newspaper, radio and leaflets in all official languages. However, research has highlighted the limits of these efforts. Media coverage of the State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech reached just under 40% of the population in the weeks following the speeches. In rural areas the numbers fell to less than 20%. In addition, an audit of provincial governments and metropolitan councils showed that although two-thirds of such authorities publish a newspaper, the content is mainly provincial and/or metropolitan, with minimal news of national programmes and activities.