Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi has denied reports that the ruling ANC has discussed a reversal of South Africa\u2019s digital migration policy.<\/p>\n
The Business Day reported on Monday that the ANC, at its National General Council (NGC) meeting on the weekend, criticised Muthambi for allegedly defying party policy on digital migration.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Muthambi\u2019s department made amendments to South Africa\u2019s digital broadcasting policy to ensure that up to five million subsidised set-top boxes do not require encryption technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Communications wishes to place it on record that the ANC NGC never discussed a possible reversal of the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy as reported in the Business Day and Business Report on Monday, October 12 2015,\u201d said Muthambi in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe matter of encryption was also not discussed in the Commission and Plenary Sessions of the National General Council when the report of the Commission was adopted,\u201d Muthambi added.<\/p>\n
She further said that \u201cinstead it was unanimously agreed that the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy should be implemented without delay\u201d and that the \u201cpolicy went through the proper process as prescribed by cabinet\u201d with requests for public comments dating back to 2013.<\/p>\n
Muthambi\u2019s stance on encryption is similar to that of the SABC and MultiChoice – two organisation that have said encryption would add extra costs to manufacturing set-top boxes.<\/p>\n
Conversely, broadcaster e.tv and official opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) have said that encryption would ensure that non-compliant boxes would not receive signals and that it could further protect high quality content for free-to-air broadcasters.<\/p>\n
The ANC told Fin24 on Monday that it planned to have a meeting with Muthambi on her decisions regarding digital migration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe meeting is urgent,\u201d the ANC\u2019s communications sub-committee chair Jackson Mthembu told Fin24 by phone on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we are going to meet with her so that we get exactly what the intentions are and whether we\u2019ll be able to achieve what we wanted to achieve as the ANC and for the people of South Africa,\u201d Mthembu said.<\/p>\n
Reported tension over Muthambi\u2019s stance on encryption has come as South Africa\u2019s digital migration process officially launched this month in the Northern Cape.<\/p>\n
Areas surrounding the deep space telescope Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project are set to receive subsidised set-top boxes first in the country.<\/p>\n
Fin24<\/a><\/p>\n Government\u2019s push for digital migration<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ANC pushes for encryption in digital TV debate: report<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on digital migration<\/h3>\n