SABC’s transmission costs to Sentech debated

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Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi says the SABC’s strategic plan and the South African Post Office Business Rescue Plan should ensure the financial stability of the entities.

Malatsi was delivering his maiden budget vote speech during a mini plenary of the National Assembly.

The debate on the budget vote also generated criticism about the Government of National Unity from some opposition parties
The budget allocation of the department is R3.9 billion for the financial year. About R1.6 billion is directed towards SABC, ICASA and the Post Office.

“Given the reality that budget allocations are unlikely to increase in the future, the SABC’s new turnaround plan and the business rescue that is currently under way at the Post Office will need to ensure that they deliver financial stability of these entities. A total of R1.6-billion has been allocated for transfers and subsidies to ICT enterprise development and State-Owned Enterprises oversight, to ensure the effective monitoring of initiatives such as the South African Post Office (SAPO) Business Rescue, the SABC strategy and ICASA’s regulatory compliance operations.”

The Minster also touched on progress made so far, with digital migration being outlined.

“The broadcasting digital migration programme has since its inception registered 1.7 million households for government-subsidised set top boxes across the country. To date, almost 1.3 million of these registered households have migrated through the installation of these set top boxes. While the work to install the remaining 400 000 continues, we are committed to supporting ongoing registrations for government subsidies. To date, 810 analogue TV transmitters have been switched off and work to switch of the remaining 184 is under way.

I will be convening a series of stakeholder engagements with all role-players to assess the readiness towards the scheduled analogue switch-off deadline.

It is important to consider the progress that has been made so far and all of the difficulties since the deadline was announced.”

During the debate, the new Chairperson of Parliament’s Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Sangoni, raised the importance of a public broadcaster.

“The recalibration of the SABC will happen in the era of over-the-top services and it must be said that the benefit of having a Public Broadcaster far outweighs the funding required to deliver public service content. The future of the Post Office is in the era of e-commerce. Significant strides have been made but the majority of the people who stand to gain the most from broadband are yet to be touched. We welcome the progress that has been made through South Africa-Connect but we urge the department to do more and faster. So, in carrying out our oversight duty the committee will closely monitor phase two of SA-connect to ensure that indeed a more connected society is realised on all corners.”

The high transmission costs paid by SABC to Sentech continue to be a thorny issue.

The DA’s Katlego Bodlani, “It is unacceptable that SABC’s debt to Sentech has risen to more than R1n billion. Honourable Minister, the SABC-Sentech stalemate requires your urgent attention. We welcome the announcement by yourself minister, on your appointment of a mediator on the matter. What we now ask is that you give us timelines on which to hold you accountable.”

The MK Party’s Nhlamulo Ndhlela also weighed in on the matter of the SABC and Sentech.

“Why is it that the SABC again should be continuing to find themselves with Sentech transmission costs while it aims to serve the poorest of the poor and yet on the other hand it goes cap in hand depending on Multichoice for certain strategic services when it actually should be going to Multichoice with a cheque issued by the PIC or the IDC media funded to take over a stake. That’s been targeted by a foreign French company, why? Digital migration on the other hand, initiated 12 years ago, is still moving at a snail’s space, further infringing on our people’s Constitutional rights to television content.”

The EFF, which rejected the Department’s budget vote, criticised the changes made through the Government of National Unity.

EFF MP, Suzan Thembekwayo says, “The handing over of the ill-functioning Department of Communications and Digital Technologies under the ANC to the capital-driven anti-African DA can only result in further broadening digital exclusion as we slowly proceed into a digitalised economy. White privilege will now operate on steroids with an influx of white people who far exceed their population demographics, occupying strategic positions without satisfactory qualifications. We will probably see an increase in the black shoe polish as the DA has during a plenary session stated that white people have to paint their faces black to access economic opportunities. Total disregard to their institutionalised privileges!”

Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele came to the defence of the GNU during the debate.

“You say GNU is a farce. It’s because you are scared of working as a South African. You want to work as a black. African National Congress is not a black party. African National Congress is a non-racial party and African National Congress knows the difference between South Africanness and racism. Our resolution is about South Africans being South Africans. You are scared of being South Africans.”

Internet connectivity versus human rights was also brought to the fore by Dr Kgosi Letlape from ActionSA.

“Internet connectivity should be a basic human right like clean water. How do we ensure that in the public spaces we access it properly and continually, because it will make access to public services very easy. It would ensure that as we come as citizens we are protected. Public participation in debates, how can we use the broadcaster to educate so that when people come to debates about bills they, are informed. They are not just coming there to express their ignorance.”

In closing the debate, the Minister welcomed suggestions from members. He also emphasised the commitment to find a solution between the Public Broadcaster and the signal distributor.

“We don’t claim to have the monopoly on good ideas. It is our approach that any meaningful contribution that comes, regardless of where it is from, we will take it, because it seeks to inform the actions that we take going forward. So, to the Honourable Bodlani, Honourable Vilakazi and Honourable Ndhela, we have initiated a process to [deal with] what was already happening between SABC and Sentech. And it is our approach and our hope that would lead to a solution from there.”

While the debate has been concluded in the mini plenary, the budget vote that was tabled still has to be approved in a full plenary.

Broadcasting | Deadlock between SABC and Sentech