Cabinet: Convergence Bill Ok

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kaspaas

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http://www.info.gov.za/speech.php?ID=05012408151001&coll=speech05


"Statement on Cabinet meeting and lekgotla
21 January 2005

Cabinet held its annual January lekgotla from Wednesday, 19 to Friday, 21 January. The lekgotla examined various elements of government policy as well as matters pertaining to the implementation of the Programme of Action announced by the President in May 2004."

{Cut much info}

"The meeting in principle approved for submission to Parliament the Convergence Bill, which deals with regulatory matters pertaining to converging telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology (IT) industries."
 
Oh yay - lets spend a couple of million on a meeting to decide on decisions already made. And then, lets only agree in principal.
Money well spent methinks - NOT.
But - thanks for the info Kaspaas.

Now - May 2004 - 8/9 months later they agree in principal. Sheesh - I wish I had deadlines like that, where I don't actually have to have a finished product.

My personal notes from the meeting:
"27th of January" ... "should be declared National Police Day" = Approved Immediately.
"Cabinet also approved a request by the African Union (AU) for South Africa to contribute a contingent of 100 police officers to Darfur in Sudan".
<speculate>I know - lets give the police a day to call their own, and then send some of them to some other country. We have far too many police officers in this country. </speculate>

They received an update on the "Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative".
They "approved both the vision of the Wild Coast as an eco-tourism destination and the structures required to realise this objective." - fantastic [Spatial = "Of, relating to, involving, or having the nature of space."]. They have approved the development of the space on the Wild Coast. Um. That must have taken a lot of thought.

"Cabinet reviewed the implementation of the first phase of Multi-purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) in which 65 such centres, providing one-stop government and other services, have been opened. It then approved a strategy for the setting up of one such centre in each of the country's municipalities by 2014.". We have more than 65 municipalities? Wow, we've taken over Africa already. ROTFLMAO. Lets see - its 2005 - they have 9 approved years in which to do the work. Who in the fruck would approve a 9 year strategy. Do they have any idea how much could change in 9 years. This is just stuupid.

Okay, okay - now for the biggie.
"The meeting in principle approved for submission to Parliament the Convergence Bill, which deals with regulatory matters pertaining to converging telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology (IT) industries."
The only decision that really counts, and they approve it in principal. But they approve everything else. WTF? Suppoze it's better than being rejected.

This 3 day meeting was not a waste of our money. No really it wasn't.
 
The only Spatial Development going in government is the use of a sharpened pencil in each ear to forcefully reduce the amount of viable grey-matter, this is a repetitive thing, done just before appearing & speaking in public.
 
Yeah - I mean, most MP's may as well just stay at home or better still, get a job in the private sector ...

Oh wait, silly me ! - They do already ! :D
 
from the draft legislative program for Parliament 2005 - list of communications -related legislation coming before parliament this year

COMMUNICATIONS
Independent Broadcasting Authority Amendment Bill - February 2005

ICASA Amendment Bill - February 2005

Convergence Bill - February 2005

Telecommunications Amendment Bill - April 2005

Postal Amendment Bill - April 2005


http://www.pmg.org.za/overview/2005legprog.doc.
 
http://m1.mny.co.za/BBStks.nsf/Current/C2256A2A0053166642256F9B0053D9F9?OpenDocument

DA spokesperson on communications Dene Smuts released a statement on Monday on the “last gasp liberalisation change”, asking where the Convergence Bill was. The Bill seems set to go before Parliament sometime this calendar quarter – with industry estimations ranging from this month to April – but a final date does not appear to have been set. Rita Schaafsma, secretary for the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, said in response to queries from Moneyweb that it would be “some time” before the Bill had been through its stages and would be referred to the Committee. Schaafsma said although unsure of the exact timing, she doubted this would be within the next three to four weeks.

...anyone prepared to offer odds on whether the Convergence Act will be passed before the SNO is operational??

sigh
 
at this stage do not even know what is in it - initial version was so full of crap i would imagine it has been substantially rewritten and it is abundantly clear that the DoC et al are way out of their depth

probably more lip service about consumer rights and cheaper access while the actual effect is the opposite
 
hArTh said:
What exactly is the convergence bill going to do for us consumers?
Click to expand...

The same thing the deregulation has done, get us excited for ....... wait for it....... NOTHING
 
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