Communications minister Solly Malatsi, a DA MP and the first non-ANC politician to hold the key cabinet portfolio in the democratic era, has been in the job for three months – sufficient time to get a broad handle on the big issues.
In this first interview with the TechCentral Show, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod asks Malatsi a range of questions about the sector, including his views on how he plans to address some of the more intractable problems in his inbox.
The interview, which was recorded on Friday, 4 October – shortly before he announced he was issuing a policy direction to communications regulator Icasa that could see a big change to empowerment rules governing licensing in the sector – covers a wide range of topics, from Elon Musk’s Starlink to the ongoing feud between the SABC and Sentech.
Other topics covered in the interview include:
- The minister’s engagements with Starlink and the recent meeting in New York between Musk and President Cyril Ramaphosa;
- His views on black economic empowerment and why his top priority is reducing the cost of data and ensuring more South Africans can connect affordably to the internet and online services;
- His plan for private sector participation in the Post Office, and whether the company is really worth saving;
- The war between the SABC and Sentech, and how it can be resolved;
- Future funding models for the SABC and the future of TV licences in South Africa;
- The problems at the State IT Agency, and what the focus should be of government’s central IT procurement and services provider;
- The planned merger of Sentech and Broadband Infraco and why he believes it needs to happen;
- Government’s 40.5% stake in Telkom and what should happen to it;
- The road to digital migration and whether there is still a need for terrestrial television in 2024;
- 2G and 3G switch-off in South Africa and whether this should be mandated by the government; and
- The legislative programme for the department of communications & digital technologies.
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