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Stella must justify expense to taxpayers for SABC bailout

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Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, to ask her to justify properly government’s intention of charging people with mobile devices the cost of a television licence and transferring all the subsequent income to the SABC.

This is after the Minister has failed to do so in answer to a written parliamentary question from the DA. The Minister instead chose simply to quote from the Draft White Paper on Audio and Audio-visual Content Services Policy Framework: A New Vision for South Africa 2020.

This draft paper proposes to exploit another stream of revenue to bail out yet another State entity brought to its knees by years of gross mismanagement. And it seems the Minister knows that this is not justifiable, given her poor attempt at answering the question.

It is the same White Paper that seeks to extend TV licence fees to include payment for using streaming services like Netflix, regardless of whether such a service is viewed on a television.

In light of this, the DA urges the public to make written submissions opposing the draft paper before 15 February 2021 to:

The Acting Director-General, Department of Communications and Digital
Technologies
Block A3, iParioli Office Park, 1166 Park Street, Hatfield, Pretoria
Private Bag X860, Pretoria, 0001

or

By email: aacs@dtps.gov.za

In addition, we urge South Africans to sign the DA petition rejecting licence fees for entertainment streaming services Netflix and Showmax.
In order for South Africans to give feedback on policies that will affect them, they must first understand the justification for such a policy. Without it, they cannot fairly judge it.

South Africans cannot continue to carry the brunt of the burden for the SABC’s mismanagement. Unless the broadcaster undergoes fundamental reform, it will never be financially viable, and government will continue to expect the people of South Africa to dig deeper in their pockets. The gravy train must be derailed here.

Regards

Zakhele Mbhele MP
DA Shadow Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies

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