Yunus Carrim's DoC track record

We've been through this before - all the ones he couldn't meet, he blamed on someone else and took them off his target list. He's really not that good.

The full report is available here: Department of Communications progress report – 23 May 2014
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The problem is the ones they've missed are the most important ones - no real progress on DTT migration (in fact I feel we're slipping backwards), no Spectrum policy. But that's fine because they achieved "Convene a pricing workshop" and made some greenpapers.

I just checked the report, and it doesn't even appear LLU is on there at all!
 
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elvis_presley said:
We've been through this before - all the ones he couldn't meet, he blamed on someone else and took them off his target list. He's really not that good.



The problem is the ones they've missed are the most important ones - no real progress on DTT migration (in fact I feel we're slipping backwards), no Spectrum policy. But that's fine because they achieved "Convent a pricing workshop" and made some greenpapers.
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Doesn't that make him a great minister ...
 
In actual fairness I think Carrim has been a good communication minister. The portfolio necessitates navigating an -- frankly the MoC has a portfolio with more need to address bull**** diplomatically than the foreign service.

Zuma is a bad president because he is navigating his own mess, Carrim has navigated Zuma's mess.
My great fear though is that having navigated the ship away from the rocks Zuma will reward him with a summary transfer to another section of the government that is heading for a crash and yet again make a patronage appointment - the extent to which the Post Master General remains a patronage post in its new form is a massive irritation.
 
Paul Hjul said:
In actual fairness I think Carrim has been a good communication minister. The portfolio necessitates navigating an -- frankly the MoC has a portfolio with more need to address bull**** diplomatically than the foreign service.

Zuma is a bad president because he is navigating his own mess, Carrim has navigated Zuma's mess.
My great fear though is that having navigated the ship away from the rocks Zuma will reward him with a summary transfer to another section of the government that is heading for a crash and yet again make a patronage appointment - the extent to which the Post Master General remains a patronage post in its new form is a massive irritation.
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Can't allow anyone to make Zuma look incompetent; far easier to shine amongst constant turmoil
 
Paul Hjul said:
In actual fairness I think Carrim has been a good communication minister. The portfolio necessitates navigating an -- frankly the MoC has a portfolio with more need to address bull**** diplomatically than the foreign service.
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Carrim's been in government for 40 years. The political part he should, and is, good at. Sadly, we need someone good at the deliverables - and I think Carrim falls short here. Two massive hot-buttons that are giant roadblocks in telecoms - LLU and DTT Encryption - aren't even on his progress reports! Sorry minister, but you can't just sweep the failures under the carpet. No wonder you have a glowing review.

I think his political skills and doublespeak extends in to how he portrays himself to the public - as he seems to have done a brilliant job of fooling everyone to think he's on track with all the important issues.

While everyone applauds his mediocrity (which - I note - is FAR better than his predecessors) we slip further behind the rest of the world in telecoms.
 
My fear is that the standard you are proposing could well advocate interventionism
consider LLU for example, the hold up relates to private industry players (regardless of the ownership stake by government Telkom is a for-profit business venture) and an independent regulator. The legal framework already exists. Beyond offering good office the Minister has little else available without overstepping.
 
Paul Hjul said:
My fear is that the standard you are proposing could well advocate interventionism
consider LLU for example, the hold up relates to private industry players (regardless of the ownership stake by government Telkom is a for-profit business venture) and an independent regulator. The legal framework already exists. Beyond offering good office the Minister has little else available without overstepping.
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It's his job to drive the creation of LLU regulation and get it enforced. Right now, neither have been done. There might be a fine line between doing that and intervening in the market - but we should all be in agreement that a heavy hand is what's now needed with LLU else it's never going to happen until it's too late.

Here's him "springing in to action" around Aug'13 on LLU: http://www.techcentral.co.za/carrim-springs-into-action-on-llu/43077/

Slowest spring ever. Just read that article - he wants to take a quiet diplomacy Mbeki approach to it. We all know how useless that approach turns out.

On the DTT issue it's the same - create regulation and make it happen. Right now, all he wants to do is make a nice big campfire, get DSTV, eTV and SABC around it singing Kum-ba-yaa and have them all kiss and make up and cook up a solution. He's been trying that tactic for months. Time for him to grow a pair and make a decision one way or the other - this isn't a decision he can get out of making.
 
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strategy presentations, and lots of talk of great stuff doesn't really make a great minister yet. it does show promise though.
but bringing real POSITIVE change, and implimenting the regulations and changes the industry needs, and wants, that would make a great minister.
 
CeeBee said:
strategy presentations, and lots of talk of great stuff doesn't really make a great minister yet. it does show promise though.
but bringing real POSITIVE change, and implimenting the regulations and changes the industry needs, and wants, that would make a great minister.
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Yup... I've met this type in the business world many times. They think that any problem can be solved with enough meetings. They don't usually last long in the real world, but this is Zuma's government, Carrim's performance is irrelevant to job security.
 
I think it's too early to tell if the minister is good or not, but he certainly is succeeding on that paperwork he promised and that's a good start. He needs to take the time to develop a proper strategy and agreed plan to enable the industry and then to move down into the specific actions which the plan informs.
 
entrepr said:
I think it's too early to tell if the minister is good or not, but he certainly is succeeding on that paperwork he promised and that's a good start. He needs to take the time to develop a proper strategy and agreed plan to enable the industry and then to move down into the specific actions which the plan informs.
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We'll never know.. he's gone :( While I wasn't a Carrim fan, I'd gladly have him back over this new guy.
 
It's kinda funny.. Every time they appoint a 'goodish' telecoms guy he is replaced after a very short stint in which he makes more progress than the previous few
 
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