The DA welcomes the analogue switch-off date of 31 March 2023 as announced by Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. We believe the date will provide a sense of urgency in finalising the switch-off.

The constitutional court judgment found that “all parties agree that there is a need for South Africa to migrate to digital and for the analogue switch-off to imminently take place. Analogue switch-off is an urgent, and unfortunately much delayed, national priority”.

The DA believes that this matter should proceed without any delay.

We note that the current rollout has faced challenges which include a court process as well as a number of citizens who have complained that they have not received the installation of the set top boxes after applying, using the prescribed methods.

We are worried about how entities who are part of the rollout are mismanaging the process, and we therefore asked the minister what her department's reason was for implementing its broadcasting digital migration programme without ensuring that a proper project expense management tool was established first?

Furthermore, with citizens bearing the brunt of the worst loadshedding that the country has ever faced, we remain sceptical that the switch-off date will be met.

We encourage all who wish to provide comment to do so on or before 27 January 2023.

 

Issued by Tsholofelo Bodlani MP - DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Services