Call for sweeping changes to Icasa

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/General/1051.html

 

[Debbie]

Sounds about right what is said about ICASA - but will have to read a fuller version first- where could I find?

 

[bekdik]

When the ANC starts agreeing with the opposition, it is time to start worrying

Seriously, with all the rubbish being uttered by the DOC Director re undersea cables and who can land them, I can't see ICASA being put in a position of real power.

 

[eremos]

Yeah, sweeping changes needed to the DoC more than to ICASA I would say. They've been doing okay, it's Lyndall and Ivy that keep sowing confusion.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Actually I think right at this point in time.. Lyndall is out biggest problem.
Ivy is too busy eating donuts and sleeping at her desk.

 

[Sneeky]

On Icasa, the report says perceptions the authority lacks independence are "potentially undermining of its credibility and, therefore, its legitimacy".

Who has woken up and why?
TELKOM have had representatives present at 'ICASA councilor interviews' before and nobody blinked, why now.

 

[ic]

On Icasa, the report says perceptions the authority lacks independence are "potentially undermining of its credibility and, therefore, its legitimacy".

Who has woken up and why?
TELKOM have had representatives present at 'ICASA councilor interviews' before and nobody blinked, why now.

In reality it is not people's perceptions that undermine !CASA's credibility, but actually !CASA's definite lack of independence from the DoC that undermines !CASA's credibility. Obviously I agree with the rest of what is stated in the article about Poison Ivy's influence over !CASA:

The committee also says it considers the appointment of Icasa councillors by the communications minister to be "inappropriate".

Further, it calls for Icasa's performance-management system to be revised "to remove the role of the minister in this regard".

although I think "inappropriate" is a rather tame & euphemistic understatement, and should rather be 'unconstitutional'...

 

[bwana]

Take a mulligan.

 

[dominic]

Take a mulligan.

& lose 18 months...no matter

@ debbie2 - i have it...will mail the section on icasa to uncle rpm - let me know if you want the whole thing

 

[bwana]

& lose 18 months...no matter

Because the current bunch will achieve so much in that time?

 

[dominic]

Because the current bunch will achieve so much in that time?

leaving aside the multiple questions as to the actual effectiveness under ideal conditions...the silly buggers means they can dither with structural and procedural changes necessitated by the latest fsckup from the Department @ C for another lifetime

 

[ic]

It's not exactly a re-take shot though is it? - it was not a mistake that the DoC ended up with more power over !CASA than it previously had - it was 100% deliberate on Poison Ivy's part to retain as much power as possible that would & should otherwise have gone to !CASA.

Unless !CASA's lack of independence is properly addressed in The Constitution, and unless the ICASA Amendment Act is declared unconstitutional, it will be another 7 years of oppression under the considerable weight of the Grim Poisonous Ivyness Creep.

 

[Debbie]

Who has woken up and why?
TELKOM have had representatives present at 'ICASA councilor interviews' before and nobody blinked, why now.

Apparantly it was more of a 'drama' to the PPCC that a current icasa councillor was present

@ debbie2 - i have it...will mail the section on icasa to uncle rpm - let me know if you want the whole thing

Please dominic.

leaving aside the multiple questions as to the actual effectiveness under ideal conditions...the silly buggers means they can dither with structural and procedural changes necessitated by the latest fsckup from the Department @ C for another lifetime

It's not exactly a re-take shot though is it? - it was not a mistake that the DoC ended up with more power over !CASA than it previously had - it was 100% deliberate on Poison Ivy's part to retain as much power as possible that would & should otherwise have gone to !CASA.

Unless !CASA's lack of independence is properly addressed in The Constitution, and unless the ICASA Amendment Act is declared unconstitutional, it will be another 7 years of oppression under the considerable weight of the Grim Poisonous Ivyness Creep.

Unfortunately anything that sort of sounds like it could be legitimately be used as a stalling tactic, will be. As I see it- dominic you can correct me- there actually is no reason why they cannot make the necessary constitutional changes to ICASA whilst ICASA just gets on with their business. A change being made in the Constitution should not have any effect whatsoever on ICASA's day-to-day nor their wider strategic operations (except maybe they might have to take down that giant portrait of Ivy Matsepe-Donut that hangs in ICASA reception). The official policy from government is that they consider ICASA already to be a Chapter 9 institution. It should simply be a matter of updating the Constitution (with some necessary public debate); and striking Ivy's role from the ICASA Amendment Act.

However, if they decide to go ahead with entrenching ICASA's independence from Ivy and Co. Ltd., will they muddle the whole thing, confuse the process up, and use this as a means to stall ICASA implementing the ECA?

 

[dominic]

Please dominic.

3.9mb pdf - i see that the section on ICASA quotes extensively from the work of one Love, D - excellent [pls pm me the address you want it sent to]

Unfortunately anything that sort of sounds like it could be legitimately be used as a stalling tactic, will be. As I see it- dominic you can correct me- there actually is no reason why they cannot make the necessary constitutional changes to ICASA whilst ICASA just gets on with their business. A change being made in the Constitution should not have any effect whatsoever on ICASA's day-to-day nor their wider strategic operations (except maybe they might have to take down that giant portrait of Ivy Matsepe-Donut that hangs in ICASA reception). The official policy from government is that they consider ICASA already to be a Chapter 9 institution. It should simply be a matter of updating the Constitution (with some necessary public debate); and striking Ivy's role from the ICASA Amendment Act.

However, if they decide to go ahead with entrenching ICASA's independence from Ivy and Co. Ltd., will they muddle the whole thing, confuse the process up, and use this as a means to stall ICASA implementing the ECA?

neither of the approaches should affect ICASA from doing its day-to-day tasks but there has been a lot of work done on setting up structures as mandated by the ICASA Amendment Act (esp around performance management) and there are potential repercussions attaching to undoing these structures. i would be concerned that ICASA will grab onto whatever excuse they can to justify non-delivery

i have spent a lot of time with decision-makers at ICASA over the last few weeks and there are some very impressive individuals making a difference and at the very least ensuring that things keep moving forward. it is however evident to me that there is a lot of fear of the Minister...

the nub of the report is that the Minister has once again misled the public, caused delays and exhibited her incompetence....but if we can't fire the minister of health then i would imagine Ivy has tenure for life

 

[UglyKidJoe]

nice

Actually I think right at this point in time.. Lyndall is out biggest problem.
Ivy is too busy eating donuts and sleeping at her desk.

class

 

[ShaunSA]

http://www.thoughtcorp.co.za/parliament/Chapter_9_Report.pdf

Thats a bloody long document. ICASA is under Chapter 13... around about page 200.

The importance of telecommunications to modern
life should not be underestimated. It would
not be stretching the point too far to say that
virtually all of modern life is dependent on
telecommunications. Certainly, it is a driving
factor in economic growth, determining a country’s
ability to participate in the global economy

That should sound familiar Debbie

 

[ic]

However, if they decide to go ahead with entrenching ICASA's independence from Ivy and Co. Ltd., will they muddle the whole thing, confuse the process up, and use this as a means to stall ICASA implementing the ECA?

Perhaps I have some misplaced faith in The Constitutional Court and expect that TCC is incapable of being as incompetent as the parliamentary powers that be?

@dominic, what you posted about a climate of fearfulness @ !CASA where Poison Ivy could fire at any time, is a very strong indication that something quite serious needs to be done to upright the 'i' in !CASA.

 

[bekdik]

but if we can't fire the minister of health then i would imagine Ivy has tenure for life

Ivy will continue to be minister for years after her death, how on earth would we know the difference?

 

[Debbie]

3.9mb pdf - i see that the section on ICASA quotes extensively from the work of one Love, D - excellent [pls pm me the address you want it sent to]

Got it from ShaunSA's link - tx- and cool, 'tis all generic sort of stuff

Perhaps I have some misplaced faith in The Constitutional Court and expect that TCC is incapable of being as incompetent as the parliamentary powers that be?

i would be concerned that ICASA will grab onto whatever excuse they can to justify non-delivery

How many times have we seen bungled process and all sorts of excuses to stall....and ICASA is a tad wishy-washy in terms of structure on the inside...dominic suggests that the effects of the IAA have helped structure ICASA internally, so now if we go buggaring around with the IAA it simply provides fertile ground for... more excuses from DoC, ICASA.

 

[ic]

How many times have we seen bungled process and all sorts of excuses to stall....and ICASA is a tad wishy-washy in terms of structure on the inside...dominic suggests that the effects of the IAA have helped structure ICASA internally, so now if we go buggaring around with the IAA it simply provides fertile ground for... more excuses from DoC, ICASA.

There's no guarantee that !CASA will deliver one way or the other, but removing Poison Ivy and her plants from the equation is something that has to be done - otherwise we will still be discussing the exact same issues next year and the year after that ad infinitum - also let's not forget that Poison Ivy will have a successor at some point, and that person could be even worse for SA's telecoms than Poison Ivy has been - hard to imagine I know, but it's not impossible considering the vast pool of incompetents there is to choose from - just imagine Shope-Mafole as MoC...