Telecommunications in 2017: More bungling bureaucrats
As it was this year, telecoms in 2017 will be dominated by Dumb and Dumber, our incompetent ministerial comedy act
Unless some strange reversal of integrity leads to President Jacob Zuma sacking underperforming ministers Siyabonga Cwele and Faith Muthambi, expect 2017 to be the same as 2016: filled with internecine squabbles between the two telecoms ministries with similar names, overlapping responsibilities and an inability to get even basic legislation passed. Muthambi is better known for her defence of the indefensible by protecting the SABC’s delinquent, narcissistic Hlaudi Motsoeneng and for going against her own party’s resolutions on the much-needed, much-delayed set-top box initiative for the switch to digital terrestrial TV. The international deadline to move from the old analogue to digital TV broadcasting was last June. Yes, 2015. Given the bungling of Muthambi, who has faced numerous court challenges on the matter, it’s not unrealistic to believe she’ll still be blundering and muttering about sunshine journalism while her portfolio continues to stagnate. Out of touch I’m quite sure b...
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