31 January 2000
Communications Minister Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri will today (31 January 2000) launch the Masters of Laws Post-Graduate Degree that will be managed by the Witwatersrand University. An agreement of co-operation will be entered into between the Department and Wits University.
In its quest to facilitate human resource capacity building in the communications sector, the Department identified a need to equip lawyers with specialised telecommunications and related legal skills through this programme.
The DoC will provide financial assistance in respect of developing the number of courses relating to communications issues that the Wits law faculty provides. It intends to increase the number of telecommunications and broadcasting-related courses that Masters students can take in the law faculty at Wits, thereby allowing them effectively to obtain an LL.M in communications law.
The proposed modules in communications issues for the degree are:
1. Telecommunications, Broadcasting and the Media: Constitutional underpinnings: This aims to provide the legal and social context in respect of telecommunications, broadcasting and associated fields. It would examine critical constitutional issues such as freedom of expression, administrative justice, access to information, role of independent regulators, and would examine these issues in the context of print media, broadcasting, telecommunications, the Internet and converged platforms;
2. Telecommunications Law: This would include topics such as an introduction to telecommunications technology, the telecommunications Act, SATRA, issues of universal service and universal access, Telkom’s exclusivity, international and regional telecommunications regulatory institutions, competition law and policy, convergence and e-commerce;
3. Broadcasting Law: This would examine the history of broadcasting in South Africa and current broadcasting legislation including the SABC, the emergence of non-governmental broadcasters, the 1993 broadcasting regime in the establishment of the IBA, regulatory issues relating to: content, cross media control, foreign ownership restrictions, restrictions in respect of advertising and election broadcasts, the provisions of the Competition Act in relation to broadcasting, international perspectives and experience in respect of broadcasting regulatory issues;
4. Space Law and Space Communications: This will examine the international law of out of space including a detailed examination of the various international treaties, an examination of the technological developments from aircraft to rocketry, remote sensing and communications, uses of satellite in respect of navigation, international organisations such as the United Nations Committee of Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), the ITU and international satellite regimes and experiences. It will examine the provisions of the Space Affairs Act, the Telecommunications Act, Broadcasting legislation in respect of policy and in relation to satellites, regional initiatives such as RASCOM and South Africa’s space capacity and developments within its space programme’s legal issues arising from the change of satellite operations from international satellite organisations to private companies and the commercial aspect of satellite communications.
The DoC has further undertaken to give funding to up to ten students from historically disadvantaged groups who wish to undertake all four courses. The funding will cover tuition fees, text books and all reading material. Interested persons should contact Mthobeli Tengimfene of the DoC’s human resources at:
Mtho@doc.pwv.gov.za
or phone (012) 427 8000 / 8145