Hon Minister, unfortunately your time has expired. Will you please conclude? You no longer have time, except for five minutes to end your speech.
The year 2010 marks the mid-term of the World Summit on Information Society. In May this year, South Africa will join member countries of the United Nations participating in the global assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the summit outcomes since their adoption in 2005.
Finally, I want to thank my Deputy Minister, Mrs Dina Pule, in absentia, the director-general, and all staff members of the department for the hard work done. To them I say: We must always remember our central theme, which is to ensure that ICTs are used for accelerated service delivery and empowerment. I thank the members of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, under the leadership of Mr Vadi, for providing advice, wisdom and support, especially during my maiden period in office.
I ask this House to approve Budget Vote No 26 of the Department of Communications. Fellow South Africans, my parting words in this historic year of 2010, the year of action, is: Let us show the world and confound our critics. South Africa can pull it off, on and off the field. On the part of those of us in the ICT sector, the ICT infrastructure for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup and the international broadcasting centre will be fully operational before the official kickoff date of 11 June 2010.
Mayihlome Bafana Bafana. Ke Nako! Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] [Get ready Bafana Bafana. Now is the time! Thank You. [Applause.]]
Chairperson, it is my pleasure to introduce the Budget Vote debate on Communications on behalf of the ANC and the committee. Members from the ANC will speak on the specific entities linked to the Department of Communications, but I will focus specifically on the department itself.
The latest edition of the magazine African Communications carries a feature article by Arthur Goldstuck on the key trends in the ICT sector since last year. In it, he states:
While South Africa's telecoms sector experienced a number of earthquakes in 2009, 2010 seems set to bring the tsunami. Last year was breathtaking in the scope and scale of events in the industry. The divorce between Telkom and Vodacom; the collapse of the Bharti-MTN merger; the landing of the Seacom undersea cable; the first reduction ever in interconnect fee for calls between South African mobile operators; and the beginning of the roll-out of new fibre optic backbones across Africa means that nothing will ever be the same again.
He said this year will see the implications of all these events not only becoming clear but also transforming the market. What is interesting about Goldstuck's analysis is that the information and communications technologies tsunami that he speaks about has its origins almost entirely in initiatives launched by the private sector. It is almost as if government has had no role to play in the shaping of these trends and developments. But we know that this is not true.
A few examples will prove my case. In recent years this government has invested almost R5 billion for the provision of robust ICT infrastructure in preparation for the Fifa Soccer World Cup. The international broadcasting centre that the Minister spoke about is a massive, high-tech nerve centre that will service a 30 000 strong media contingent during the tournament. Sentech will offer a digital terrestrial service during the tournament. And the SABC has upgraded its redundant equipment with digital gear and will provide live coverage of all 64 games during the tournament.
The point I'm getting at is that there must be a constructive partnership between government, the private sector and other institutions in civil society if we are to accelerate the growth and development of the ICT sector. But this partnership must be premised on a set of clear principles.
For me these are, among others, firstly, transparency, openness and public accountability - both for government, civil society and the private sector. Secondly, there should be open channels of communication among these three sectors. Thirdly, we must advance the principle of cost effectiveness and efficiency operations. Lastly, there must be a proper balance between private and public interests.
I want to dwell briefly on the issue of balancing public and private interests, particularly the question of managing conflicts of interest. Even though we accept that the private sector is driven by profits, it also does serve the public good. So, for instance, we cannot deny the positive impact the mobile industry has had on our population, which includes the poor.
However, it is important that enterprises in the private sector, including its black economic component, should not abuse the transparency and openness of this government and attempt to manipulate tender processes in favour of some enterprises to the exclusion of others. [Applause.] In simple terms, then, industry is free to manage its interests as it deems fit, provided it does so ethically.
Similarly, public servants and public representatives must also not attempt to manipulate, either directly or indirectly, specific business transactions at any level of government in favour of themselves, their friends or families. [Applause.] Essentially, public servants and representatives should do what they are supposed to do: serve the public.
In this regard, the committee is pleased to report that in the Department of Communications 99,8% of the senior management - that is 85 out of 86 senior managers - have to date declared their interests and are compliant with the Public Service Code of Conduct. [Applause.] The single remaining person - I don't know who he or she is - has until the end of this month to comply, and I hope it is going to get done with the director-general. [Laughter.] This is a very positive development which we must applaud.
I want to stress that this is an important issue for the committee itself, particularly in the light of what happened at the SABC. The Auditor-General found last year that there were significant deficiencies in the corporation's supply chain management due to nonadherence to policies, directives and delegated authority by senior management.
In fact, the report states quite explicitly:
The various allegations raised regarding possible or perceived conflicts of interest is indicative of a lack of confidence that the procurement and provisioning system of the SABC is fair, equitable, transparent and competitive. This perception may be strengthened by the number and level of employees who do have other commercial interest and the nature of the businesses of the entities in which they have an interest. In this regard, the Auditor-General found that there were 1 465 SABC employees who had interests in companies or corporations. There was no central register of approval granted to the employees, which is an example of inadequate management of information. This is shocking, if not scandalous. It must be reaffirmed that even those working for the public broadcaster are public servants and should not engage in business activities that leave them conflicted. The committee is strongly of the view - and I see the chairperson of the board is here - that the board must conclude unfinished business in respect of the Auditor- General's report. [Applause.]
When one examines the situation at Sentech, a similarly disconcerting picture emerges. For instance, Sentech has acted outside its political mandate by not concluding an agreement with the Eastern African Submarine Cable System, EASSy, which was approved by this government, and instead entered into a landing rights agreement with Baharicom Development Company. I think this raises a very central issue of the political mandate: If the mandate of Cabinet is A, how is it that officials go into B? It is a serious question. Also, there are several examples that its staff recruitment practice is driven by considerations that might not be publicly justifiable.
However, in the absence of the Ministerial Task Team's report being made available to the committee, it is not possible at this stage to state conclusively there is whether or not a case of unethical conduct or practices that promote a conflict of interest in the company. But the committee has a gut feeling that the situation is not entirely satisfactory. Hence, we shall be calling on the newly appointed board to appear before us, preferably shortly.
Since the appointment of Minister Nyanda, Deputy Minister Pule and the new director-general, there has been a burst of energy and enthusiasm in terms of policy proposals that are coming through from the Ministry. That is a very positive development, because I think there was lethargy in the previous era.
The department's strategic plans for the year are more focused and the budget is better aligned to key priorities. [Applause.] I see that applause was engineered by the director-general. [Laughter.] There is no harm in officials also applauding their own work. [Interjections.] The department has also been much more responsive to the committee's request for additional information and further briefings.
On the question of mobile termination rates, I think the Minister has already indicated the successes there. If I can draw on military terminology from the days when the Minister was a soldier, I would say that the Ministry and Parliament launched a pincer operation, which ensured that interconnection rates were reduced to 89 cents last month.
Last week, as we have heard already, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa, issued proposals for the further regulation of interconnection rates over the next two years. It suggested that these rates be reduced according to a glide path, with an initial reduction to 65 cents in July this year, 50 cents in July next year, and 40 cents in July 2012. Fixed-line termination rates are also to be reduced. These are very positive developments.
As we applaud or recognise these achievements, we must also be mindful of a specific departmental weakness. This has been meticulously highlighted by the Public Service Commission's recent evaluation of the performance of the department against nine constitutional values and principles governing public administration.
With regard to its performance and compliance report, the Public Service Commission, PSC, gave a 39% rating to the department when it was under the leadership of the former director-general - who, incidentally, is now a member of Cope. [Laughter.] That is factually correct, Chairperson, I am not misleading the House.
This 39% is categorised by the PSC as poor performance against most of the standards. Now let us look at the last appearance. The department received an "excellent" and "good" rating respectively for fairness in decision- making processes and maintaining adequate financial controls over departmental programmes. But it received a poor performance rating in respect of the following ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, this is what they call innovation! Some people sat here for 20 years without thinking of this. This is my pulpit and it is very easy to read from this.
Voorsitter, Ministers, agb Lede van die Parlement, ek gaan nie baie Engels praat nie. [Chairperson, Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, I am not going to be speaking much in English.]
Mr Minister, please listen to the interpretation. I am going to speak a lot of Afrikaans otherwise the interpreters do not have anything to do.
Die probleme van die Departement van Kommunikasie is veelvuldig. Die Minister het te veel s in die magte van al die entiteite en in die aanstelling van rade en die hoof uitvoerende beamptes. Dan weet niemand wie dra die broek in die departement nie. Om watter rede, agb Minister, het die direkteur-generaal gister uitlatings by die Internasionale Konferensie van die Statebond Uitsaai-vereniging gemaak? Die direkteur-generaal het die 1% belasbare bedrag wat die belastingbetalers op die offerkis van die regering moet plaas, te berde gebring.
Die rede vir die groot verwarring en onrustigheid in Suid-Afrika is die regering se onvermo om tussen twee woorde te onderskei, naamlik filosofie en ideologie. Dit veroorsaak ongemak in Suid-Afrika en dit is wat ons baie duidelik sien in al die staatsentiteite gebeur omdat daar nie behoorlike rigting is nie.
In bre terme beteken filosofie een ding en ideologie kan 'n ander gevolg h. Dit beteken dat die oorkoepelende organisasie, die ANC, een gedagte het, maar as gevolg van die ideologiese interpretasie van elk van die alliansievennote het ons vandag se gemors. Die alliansievennote van die regering interpreteer ideologie telkens anders. 'n Filosofie is 'n oorwo mening. Ideologie beteken die praktiese uitvoering van filosofie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The problems of the Department of Communications are multiple. The Minister has too much say in the authority of all the entities and in the appointment of boards and the chief executive officers. Consequently no one knows who is wearing the pants in the department. For what reason, hon Minister, did the director-general make statements at the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association General Conference yesterday? The director-general broached the subject of the 1% taxable amount that the taxpayers would have to add to the collection box of the government.
The reason for the immense confusion and uneasiness in South Africa is the government's inability to differentiate between two words, namely, philosophy and ideology. This causes uneasiness in South Africa and this is what we can clearly see happening in all the state entities, because there is no clear direction.
In general terms philosophy means one thing and ideology could have a different outcome. This means that the umbrella organisation, the ANC, has one idea but, as a result of the ideological interpretation by each of the alliance partners, we have today's mess. Time and again, the alliance partners of the government interpret ideology differently. A philosophy is a predominant opinion. Ideology means the practical execution of philosophy.]
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed a theory about ideology, and I quote from Leon P Baradat's book Political Ideologies:
They argue that rather than a science of ideas, ideology is nothing more than a fabrication used by a particular group of people to justify themselves. The concepts in ideology were completely subjective and they were used to justify the ruling class of society. Thus, the dominant political ideas or ideology of any society will always reflect the interest of the ruling class and, according to Marx and Engels, were based on incorrect interpretations of the nature of politics.
Karl Mannheim basically agreed with Marx's conclusion. Mannheim compared the ideology of one historical era to that of another, arguing that no ideology could be fully understood unless this historical relationship was clear. No ideology can be understood unless we grasp the ideas of the previous era and investigate the impact of the previous ideology on the current one.
Teen di agtergrond is dit belangrik om te let op die gekompliseerde, bykans hopelose toestand waarin vandag se ANC en regering hom bevind. 'n Paar holui-protagoniste glo in die brer beginsels van die ANC. Omrede ideologie op pragmatiese wyse neerslag vind in die uitvoering van die filosofiese denke op die mense via sy strukture, is daar kortsluitings wat telkens voorkom. Ons sien dit elke dag in die koerante, omdat wat in die brer filosofiese verband verkondig word, nie ideologies in die praktyk sy uitwerking het nie.
So sien ons elke dag die uitwerking van ideologie indien jy kyk na uitlatings van die ANC, Cosatu en die SA Kommunistiese Party - ook die ANC- jeugliga en dan ook party nommer vyf, naamlik Zanu-PF. Ja, Robert Mugabe speel ook 'n rol.
Ek praat met rede baie Afrikaans, soos ek netnou ges het. Ek wil tog nie h dat Suid-Afrika as 'n koloniale land gesien moet word nie, want dan het Cecil John Rhodes totaal geslaag in die verengelsing van ons pragtige land. Engels is nie eers 'n Afrika-taal nie. So, laat ons liewers in die toekoms isiZulu praat, mnr die Minister, of isiXhosa, of Setswana. Ek sal hard daaraan werk, maar laat ons net nie met mekaar Engels praat nie - dan mis ons die bus!
Ek wil net vir mnr Vadi s die persoon van Cope wat die party, die hele party, verlaat het, het gesien die skip is besig om te sink, toe spring hy vinnig. [Gelag.] En daar gaan nog baie wees wat vinnig spring.
Verder, oor die filosofiese en ideologiese, genadiglik het ons in Suid- Afrika 'n filosofiese onderbou waaroor almal saam besluit het, naamlik die Grondwet. Dit is die ding wat vir ons rigting gee in Suid-Afrika, maar hoe dit praktiese neerslag vind in die lewe van elk van ons gaan oor die ideologiese.
Ek wil vir u s die enigste ideologiese kampvegter van di filosofie is die DA. Die DA beskerm die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika absoluut. Ek weet mev Kilian wil opspring, maar Cope doen dit ook, en baie dankie ook vir die OD en almal wat meehelp om die Grondwet, die filosofiese denkraamwerk van Suid- Afrika, te beskerm, want as ons moes wag vir die ANC om die Grondwet te beskerm, het ons lankal die oorlog verloor. U kan gerus glimlag, mnr Vadi. Wie beskerm die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika? Nie die ANC nie.
Net om my gedagtes en ideologie by die debat tuis te bring, die probleme in die Departement van Kommunikasie is veelvuldig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Against this background it is important to take note of the complex, almost desperate situation the ANC and the government find themselves in today. A few elite protagonists believe in the broader principles of the ANC. Because ideology is manifested to the people in a pragmatic way, in the execution of the philosophical ideas via its structures, there are frequently short-circuits that occur. We see this everyday in the newspapers because that which is expounded in the broader philosophical context does not have that ideological impact in practice.
Thus, we see the impact of ideology everyday, when you take note of the utterances of the ANC, Cosatu and the SA Communist Party - also the ANC Youth League and also party number five, namely, ZANU-PF. Yes, Robert Mugabe also plays a role.
There is a reason why I am speaking so much Afrikaans, as I mentioned a moment ago. After all, I do not want South Africa to be perceived as a colonial country, because then Cecil John Rhodes would have been completely successful in the Anglicisation of our beautiful country. English isn't even an African language. Therefore, in future, let us rather speak isiZulu, Mr Minister, or isiXhosa, or Setswana. I will work hard at it, but let us not speak to each other in English - then we will be missing the bus!
I just want to say to Mr Vadi that the person from Cope who left the party, the party in its entirety, could see that ship was busy sinking, so he jumped quickly. [Laughter.] And there are still going to be many others who will be jumping quickly.
Furthermore, with regard to the philosophical and ideological, mercifully in South Africa we have a philosophical framework on which we have all decided together, namely, the Constitution. It is this that gives us direction in South Africa, but as to how it practically manifests itself in the lives of each one of us deals with the ideological. I would like to say to you that the only ideological champion of this philosophy is the DA. The DA protects the Constitution of South Africa absolutely. I know Mrs Kilian wants to jump up, but Cope does so as well, and a thank you too to the ID and all those who assist in protecting the Constitution, the philosophical conceptual framework of South Africa, because if we were to wait on the ANC to protect the Constitution we would have lost the war a long time ago. Please, go ahead and smile Mr Vadi. Who is protecting the Constitution of South Africa? Not the ANC.
Just to connect my thoughts and ideology to the debate, the problems in the Department of Communications are multiple.]
Chairperson, on a point of order: The Rules of Parliament require that contributions and debates, especially on a Budget Vote debate, are relevant to the issue. What I have heard so far has no relevance whatsoever.
Hon member, we shall investigate that. Please, continue hon Van den Berg. Proceed.
Net om my gedagtes en ideologie by die debat tuis te bring: Wat ek te s het, is van belang vir Suid-Afrika, omdat daar 'n klomp probleme is in die uitvoering van filosofiese gedagtes. As ons kyk na wat op die ou einde op die grond gebeur, dan is dit belangrik.
Eerstens, daar is swak politieke leierskap, wat ek reeds ges het. Die beste voorbeeld was gister. Hoe op dees aarde kan 'n direkteur-generaal iets s wat nie in pas is met die politieke beleid van die departement nie? Daar sit my goeie vriend, mnr Ismail Vadi, die agb Voorsitter van die Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie. Ons het nog nie een keer die Uitsaaiwysigingswetsontwerp bespreek nie, nie een enkele keer nie, en wat gee die direkteur-generaal die reg om dit daar te doen?
Die swak bestuur van die ANC in regering is alles ideologies gedrewe. Al die staatsentiteite vaar swak, bitterswak, pateties, noem dit maar op. Die SAUK het 'n klein bietjie verbeter. Sentech, en die Onafhanklike Kommunikasie-owerheid van Suid-Afrika, Okasa, sukkel. Alles gaan oor swak ideologiese besluite.
U moet een ding onthou: apartheid is lank terug verby. Wat het Marx, Engels en Mannheim ges? Beoordeel vandag wat gister gebeur het, ook in vorige bedelings. Ek wil vir u s indien u dit nie weet nie, die ANC moet hom begin self-evalueer ten opsigte van die Madiba-era, die bykans twee termyne van Thabo Mbeki, dan was daar Limpopo, en nou President Zuma se termyn in die Parlement. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DEN BERG: Just to connect my thoughts and ideology to the debate: What I have to say is of interest to South Africa because there are a lot of problems in the execution of philosophical ideas. If we look at what eventually happens at grass-roots level, then it is important.
Firstly, there is poor political leadership, which I have mentioned already. The best example happened yesterday. How on earth can a director- general say something that is not in keeping with the political policy of the department? There my good friend, Mr Ismail Vadi, the hon chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, is sitting. We haven't discussed the Broadcasting Amendment Bill yet, not even once, and what gives the director-general the right to do it there?
Poor management by the ANC in government is wholly ideologically driven. All the state entities are performing badly, very badly, pathetic, you name it. The SABC improved somewhat. Sentech and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa, are struggling. Everything is due to poor ideological decisions.
You have to remember one thing: apartheid is long gone. What did Marx, Engels and Mannheim say? Evaluate today on what happened yesterday, taking into consideration the previous dispensations as well. I want to say to you, in case you don't know this, the ANC should start self-assessment in respect of the Madiba era, the almost two terms of Thabo Mbeki, then there was Limpopo, and now President Zuma's term in Parliament. [Interjections.]]
So what?
Omdat dit so belangrik is, dis wat. Vra enige mens in Suid-Afrika wat is fout met die Staatsdiens. Julle moet luister, want julle mis 'n belangrike klomp punte. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Because it is so important, that's what. Ask any person in South Africa what is wrong with the Public Service. You should listen, because you are missing a number of important points.]
Hon Van den Berg, will you take your seat, please? Take your seat. Hon members, I have a very important announcement to make which will be user-friendly to all of us and to this honourable House. The people who organise the sound are getting irritated at the noise. Please reduce your volume.
On a point of order, Chair: Can the hon member take a question to confirm that the DA has an alliance with Cope?
Vra enige mens in Suid-Afrika wat is fout met die staatsentiteite onder die Departement van Kommunikasie. Die antwoord wat ons gaan kry, is staatsingryping, en dan moet ons, die Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie, skarrel om die ANC en regering se ideologiese foute reg te stel. Almal wat in di portefeuljekomitee is, weet hoe ons die afgelope jaar geskarrel en gewerk het om die probleme op te los in die entiteite van die Departement van Kommunikasie omdat daar in die verlede, nie net oor 'n dag of twee nie, bitter, bitter swak politieke besluite geneem is. Dit het veroorsaak dat die SAUK, Okasa en Sentech nie gekom het waar hulle moet wees nie.
Daar is nog een gedagte wat ek graag by u wil laat: ek het 'n voorstel aan die Minister. In hierdie vergaderlokaal waar ons vandag is, is hier soveel kennis onder al die mense van die selfoonmaatskappye, van Telkom, wat hier sit. Almal weet hoe om die probleme van Suid-Afrika op te los omdat ons die kundigheid in Suid-Afrika het om dit wel te kan doen. Wat moet die regering doen? Die regering moet sterk leierskap toon.
Agb Van den Berg, u tyd is verstreke. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DEN BERG: Ask any person in South Africa what is wrong with the state entities under the Department of Communications. The answer that we will get is state intervention, and then we, the Portfolio Committee on Communications, have to scrabble to correct the ANC and the government's ideological mistakes. Everyone who is in this portfolio committee knows how we had to scrabble and work in the past year to resolve the problems in the entities of the Department of Communications because of extremely, extremely bad political decisions made in the past, not just over one or two days. This resulted in the SABC, Icasa and Sentech not getting to where they should be.
There's just one more thought that I would like to leave with you: I have a proposal for the Minister. In this assembly hall where we are today, there is a wealth of knowledge among all of the people sitting here from the cell phone companies, from Telkom. Everyone knows how to solve the problems of South Africa, because we have the expertise in South Africa to really make this happen. What should the government do? The government should show strong leadership.
Hon Van den berg, your time has expired.]
Your time has expired. [Laughter.] Hon Van den Berg, we did note the point of order about the relevance of your speech. We shall investigate the matter and report back to this House.
Chairperson, hon Minister, despite a relatively small budget, the strategic importance of this Budget Vote should not be underestimated if we are serious about expanding access to knowledge, information and economic empowerment. Key state-owned entities, SOEs, are overseen by the Department of Communications, which could have a major impact on the lives of all South Africans.
However, if the Minister fails to turn the Department of Communications into a proactive and vigilant department, he will fail our nation and, in particular, the poorest of the poor, unless the ANC fears that an educationally liberated and informed electorate is not so easy to mislead during elections and it is their deliberate strategy to retain a large section of our nation uneducated, uninformed and unemployed.
The challenges facing some of the SOEs demand visionary leadership to ensure that we regain our position as an information and communication technology, ICT, leader in Africa and among developing countries - a position which we held in the early 1990s.
As far as the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, is concerned, Cope wants the SABC to make us proud during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, and we want them to be successful so that all of us can experience the magic of the Soccer World Cup. This exciting event is critical for our nation and for nation-building. We wish them well, but we also need to plan beyond. That is why Cope is happy with the input by the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Mr Ismail Vadi.
It is imperative for the new SABC board to manage the finances of the corporation with circumspect and to root out corrupt practices and conflicts of interest. It is not good enough to have a register of people who say they have no conflict of interest or to just declare their conflict of interest. We need to make it impossible for people in public office to conduct business with the public sector. We need to root out that practice.
The public will not forget the scandalous abuse of power and of public resources by some in the SABC senior management. The deafening silence on the outcome of investigations into gross missmanagement and prima facie criminal conduct of senior management members is disturbing.
We, therefore, welcome the approach of the chairperson, and we will ensure that we assist in the process to get to the truth. South Africans want to know what went wrong there and why government had to bail them out.
We will also closely evaluate the public broadcaster's commitment to editorial independence. We are looking forward to deliberations on the Public Service Broadcasting Bill. We will never accept a public broadcaster that becomes the de facto propaganda arm of the ruling party.
As far as Sentech is concerned, we are dissatisfied with what appears to have been a lack of transparency and a lack of inclusive approach in the steps that the Minister has taken. As hon Vadi has indicated, the committee did not even have the full report before it. Cope wants to say that the practice of cadre deployment has failed. We hope that this was not another cadre deployment exercise of the ANC. Those who are guilty of the mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds should be charged, not just redeployed to another SOE or another department.
As far as the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa, is concerned, the regulator has consistently been criticised for failure to exercise its mandate. Why did the Department of Communications and Parliament not enforce a performance management system to monitor the efficacy of the regulator before? It is only since last year's elections that we see some active steps. [Interjections.]
Hon members, order please!
At one stage during last year's processes, the Minister got so excited that he almost usurped the role of the regulator. Cope commends Icasa for having stood their ground by not bowing to ministerial pressure. The net result is that South Africans will soon benefit from an interconnection rate that is significantly lower than the one negotiated by the hon Minister.
Only when Icasa regulates the markets efficiently will telecom costs for consumers drop. Government needs to drive policy, and Icasa needs to regulate decisively to break the stranglehold of dominant players on the telecommunications sector. We need to fully liberalise the market in South Africa to create an opportunity for smaller operators - those who can work with innovation - so that they can compete on a level playing field.
Research has shown that countries with fully liberalised financial and telecommunications sectors grew, on average, by about a 1,5 percentage point faster than other countries. Therefore, broadband access needs to be processed, and processed soon. It's good that we have a policy in place now, as the Minister has indicated, but we need to ensure that we move fast.
The Minister needs to give visionary leadership. How should he do that? He should encourage investment and infrastructure for ICT by mitigating the risks for such investors. South Korea saw a 30% growth in internet usage within a single year, because they did just that. He should also oversee effective competition and drive public-private partnerships through Icasa, through policy directives.
The Minister has a window of opportunity to make a clean start and to give direction, but time is running out. At this stage, this ANC government and Telkom are turning access to broadband into a service for the select few who can afford it. That is unacceptable. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, firstly, I just want to comment on the fact that Sentech didn't come to the portfolio committee with a report. I think hon Kilian was late, as usual. I don't think what she said is true.
Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of Parliament, distinguished guests ...
... ndiyanibulisa nonke namhlanje. Ndinikwe inxaxheba yokuthetha ngemiba emibini eyiSABC neSentech. Ndiyavuya ke xa ndiza kuzilandelelanisa zombini kuba, enyanisweni, Sihlalo obekekileyo, - nangona ungandimamelanga - ziyasebenzisana zombini. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... I greet you all today. I have been given the opportunity to speak about two issues, the SABC and Sentech. I am glad that I will be dealing with them consecutively because, in all honesty, hon Chairperson, they are interrelated - even though you are not listening to me.]
Hon member, we are being very attentive. [Laughter.] We are concentrating on what you are saying.
Ndifuna ukuchaza unobangela wokuba kubekho ukungasebenzi kakuhle kweSentech kwixesha eligqithileyo. Nenkcaza yam ngeSABC iza kujula kwinguqu esinayo ngoku.