ICASA Bill to be finalised next week

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gljackson

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ICASA Bill to be finalised next week
BY PAUL VECCHIATTO, ITWEB CAPE TOWN CORRESPONDENT
READ IN THIS STORY:

No strict guideline
[Cape Town | ITWeb, 12 May 2006] - Political party differences over the appointment and performance management of Independent Communication Authority of SA (ICASA) councillors are small and should be resolved by Wednesday next week, says Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications acting chairman Godfrey Olifant (ANC).

“I am confident the differences, particularly between the DA and ANC members on this committee, are quite small, but need some massaging to get to a final conclusion,” Olifant told ITWeb.

The committee met today to discuss president Thabo Mbeki's reasons for not signing the ICASA Amendment Bill, which has also held up the implementation of the Electronic Communications Act.

The president's objections focus on sections seven, nine and 11 of the ICASA Amendment Bill, which deal with the appointment of a panel of experts by the minister of communications, which will in turn appoint ICASA councillors. These sections also deal with a performance management system for ICASA councillors.

Paul Swart (DA) proposed the committee first deal with the issue of the appointment of the councillors and then tackle the performance management system some other time, until guidelines from the public service commission are received.

“The issue of appointing the councillors should remain with Parliament, which will then give their decisions to the president, who will then appoint them,” he says.

No strict guideline

Ruben Mohlaloga (ANC) says there is no strict guideline within the Constitution to appoint ICASA councillors, and he feels a panel would not necessarily affect ICASA's independence.

The real issue in Mbeki's letter to Parliament is that ICASA now incorporates the former Independent Broadcasting Authority and there are historical reasons for this function to be independent.

Department of Communications director-general Lyndall Shope-Mafole says her department's recommendation that a panel be appointed to select ICASA councillors was part of a mandate given by Cabinet, and that only in SA does the national assembly appoint communication regulators.

“We acknowledge that there is an historical reason for appointing independent councillors; however, this has to do with apartheid, and we have now moved on 11 years from that,” she says.

Dene Smuts (DA) says Parliament chooses, and Parliament votes, and then the president signs. “There is no role for the minister in choosing councillors; let's put the president back where he belongs – ie finding the appointment of the councillors on the recommendations of Parliament.”

Khotso Khumalo (ANC) countered this by saying that in some other statutory bodies such as the justice commission, the responsible minister sits on the selection panel, and that there are many variations to how this could be done.
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http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2006/0605121050.asp?A=LEG&S=Legal View&O=FPIN
 
“We acknowledge that there is an historical reason for appointing independent councillors; however, this has to do with apartheid, and we have now moved on 11 years from that,” she says.
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Huh? There's still an need for appointing independent councilors especially when the government has such a high financial stake in all the operators.

I feel that in the ideal world the government would be about serving the citizens and something like ICASA wouldnt need to be independent but lets face it - thats not what happens in SA. ICASA needs to be able to say no to government (not like I believe they ever would though).

But awesome segue into blaming apartheid. :rolleyes:
 
Lyndall talks the biggest load of bulldust that I have ever heard. What does appointing independent councillors has to do woth apartheid??? WTF!!!

Will someone in a position of power please fire her.
 
Sounds like the DoC and specifically the Minister wants to control this INDEPENDENT body!
 
Skip said:
Lyndall talks the biggest load of bulldust that I have ever heard. What does appointing independent councillors has to do woth apartheid??? WTF!!!

Will someone in a position of power please fire her.
Click to expand...


Agreed. That statement of hers makes no sense whatsoever. What you could argue from apartheid is the way Telkom has been protected and the telecoms market is still being protected from the apartheid era. If you want to do justice to apartheid in the telecoms industry, then OPEN UP THE BLADDY MARKET (i.e. no limited numbers of competitors).
 
Department of Communications director-general Lyndall Shope-Mafole says her department's recommendation that a panel be appointed to select ICASA councillors was part of a mandate given by Cabinet, and that only in SA does the national assembly appoint communication regulators.

“We acknowledge that there is an historical reason for appointing independent councillors; however, this has to do with apartheid, and we have now moved on 11 years from that,” she says.
Click to expand...
Why bother mentioning it if we have moved on!!? Stupid, rascist, bigoted comment - 12 years later. Yah, lets continue to support the Digital Apartheid of Telkom - much better! Hello, hello!!?
 
Oooooh now suddenly we've moved on from Apartheid? Someone should pull this statement next time GubMint tries to blame Apartheid.
 
Any gub minister that uses the word Apartheid should be slapped around the face - Hello, hello - 12 years ago!

Any excuse for them to do nothing.

And go on another conference - to talk about it - and make plans... 12 years later... shopping is good in Quatar this year!
 
OM my LOL.

Using apartheid as an excuse for EVERYTHING!!

They can't even use the word apartheid in a full sentence, but just mentioning apartheid explains everything.

Why did the Cape lose power... eeeh Apartheid
Why is Chuck Norris jokes funny.... Historical reasons... eeeh Apartheid
Why do birds fly... eeeeh Apartheid
Why do government officials sit on their hands..... eeh Apartheid

How can u vote for people like that?
 
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