“There is no confusion in the ANC.” Those are the words telecommunications and postal services minister Siyabonga Cwele used in parliament this week to deflect criticism that President Jacob Zuma’s post-election decision to
Browsing: Opinion
Among the many changes we have experienced during our 20 years as a democracy, one of the most fundamental has been the relatively sudden and widespread release of information. Back in 1994, at the dawn of
Cape Town is mulling over public comments to its draft proposal to provide open access to the city’s data. The city is developing plans to establish and populate a single online and open portal for data
SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng has a delightful proposal for journalists: we should all be licensed. Apparently he thinks we should be treated like doctors and lawyers: proper professionals with a licence to practice, framed certificates on the wall and everything. Motsoeneng, we’re flattered
Samsung warned this week that its earnings in its most recent financial quarter were likely to have tumbled by as much as 26,5% – the third straight quarter of decline – in part because of a glut of unsold smartphones and growing competition from Chinese manufacturers. These must be troubling times for the
Which is more important to you, your right to freedom of speech or your right to privacy? Would you rather have the ability to control what is said about you or the ability to speak openly about contentious subjects? A fascinating collision between these rights is currently under way in the European Union
South Africans love to complain about Telkom. It’s been a national pastime for years. The customer service problems associated with the fixed-line operator are the stuff of legend – and nightmare. So, when Telkom’s CEO, Sipho Maseko, steps up to the plate and promises to fix these deep-seated
Balancing Act Africa research counts 73 video-on-demand platforms operating in Africa — on the Internet, via satellite or through mobile applications. Mostly, these are “over the top” services with the vast majority set up by independent providers. Although they may have operating alliances with mobile
On 25 May, President Jacob Zuma announced the cabinet for his second term. In a surprise movement, the announcement included significant changes in the role of the department of communications and the creation of a new ministry of telecommunications and postal services. This has resulted in enormous
In the main, Africa’s universal service agencies have not covered themselves in glory. Although money has been collected from operators, it has largely sat in the bank gathering interest. Even in countries such as Kenya, which have expended large amounts of energy and resources on putting in place broadband