In his medium term budget policy statement, finance minister Nhlanhla Nene has allocated R620m in funding for broadcasting digital migration to the department of telecommunications and postal services and not to the department of communications, suggesting telecoms minister Siyabonga Cwele and not his communications counterpart, Faith Muthambi, will run the project after all, according to the Democratic Alliance.
The announcement comes just a week after the department of communications apparently claimed it would take over management of South Africa’s long-delayed digital migration project.
The DA has said there is a turf war going on between the two departments, which were created after President Jacob Zuma controversially split the department of communications in two after the May general election.
Nene said the adjustment appropriation for 2014/2015 included R620m for the digital broadcast migration programme. This is the same number that was presented by his predecessor, Pravin Gordhan, in February.
DA MP and shadow telecoms minister Marian Shinn said she is “pleased” that there were no cuts to this budget because the speedy transition to digital broadcasting opens up additional spectrum for the widespread roll-out of broadband, which will spur economic growth.
She said she is particularly happy that the budget will go to telecoms and postal services. “This could curb the minister of communications’ penchant for trying to grab the project away from where it rightfully resides, with telecommunications and postal services.”
Shinn said she hopes that this budget announcement will “embolden the cabinet to side with minister Cwele and approve the revised digital migration policy as soon as possible”. — © 2014 NewsCentral Media
