PAYMENT ALLEGATIONS
Icasa heads still considering probe into MultiChoice
Executives of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) told Parliament on Wednesday that it was still considering how to proceed with a possible investigation into MultiChoice. In November, the DA approached the regulator requesting that it conduct an inquiry into payments made by MultiChoice to the SABC and Gupta-linked ANN7, allegedly in exchange for political influence over government policy on digital migration, in the pay-TV operator’s favour. Allegations, including a copy of minutes of a meeting held between MultiChoice and SABC executives in 2013, emerged in 2017, suggesting that the pay-TV operator would proceed with its multimillion-rand deal to include the SABC 24-hour news channel in the DStv bouquet, only if the government supported nonencryption of set-top boxes. Former communications minister Faith Muthambi was implicated in the matter as she pushed through nonencryption, despite standing ANC policy at the time. Set-top boxes are needed to decode the digi...
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