The Portfolio Committee on Communications appreciates the submissions received during public hearings on the Electronic Communications Amendment (ECA) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Amendment Bills from over 20 stakeholders.
         
The Committee has noted that despite few areas of concern on some clauses of the Bills, in principle all stakeholders are in support of the proposed amendments to the Bills.
 
There is a general agreement among stakeholders that the proposed Spectrum Management Agency and the independence of the regulator, ICASA, its funding model and the structural reform of the ICASA Council should be deferred to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Review Panel.
 
Also important to note is that there was general consensus that ICASA must be empowered and its independence strengthened. The separation of powers between the Minister and the regulator was a common submission amongst all stakeholders, and it is the intention of the Bills to build a foundation for an effective working relationship.
 
The Committee also noted that it is important to align both Bills to the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act.
 
While there is a general consensus among stakeholders on these issues, the Committee is of the view that, as a result of the Constitutional powers enjoyed by Parliament, nothing stops the Committee from dealing with those issues which it was proposed be deferred to the ICT Policy Review Panel.
 
The Committee is not pleased with the information divide that is prevalent in South Africa, particularly as it affects people living with disabilities. The Committee noted that after 20 years of democracy, the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors services are still not accessible to people living with disabilities. The Committee believes that legislation should be aligned to socio-economic development in order to derive the values enshrined in the constitution and to bring it in line with the developmental agenda of the country.
 
The Committee is therefore appealing to the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors to address this information divide that still exists for persons living with disabilities. The Committee is scheduled to deliberate on the received submissions in Parliament before the end of this month.