Since the request made by Parliament that the Auditor General investigate the SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA), I have received several briefings from the Auditor General that were specific to the allegations concerning the third cellular licence process.
Yesterday, I received the third briefing from the Auditor General on the basis of which I have come to the conclusion that the licensing of the third cellular operator must proceed.
Therefore, the licensing process will now proceed to its natural conclusion. SATRA will be informing the applicants of the name of the preferred applicant for the third cellular licence by the end of February, 2000.
After the applicants have had the opportunity to make representation to SATRA on the preferred applicant, SATRA will make its final recommendation to me by the end of March, 2000.
It is most unfortunate that we had to delay the licensing process in order to deal with these allegations. But it was necessary to ensure that the bidding process rigorously followed the statutory requirements and to restore the integrity of the process.
As government, we are committed to transparency and good governance in all our work and particularly in important transactions such as the licensing of a third cellular operator. We are committed to creating a vibrant environment for competitive cellular telephony in the country.