Chairperson, hon Minister, leaders of the industry and hon members, the concept of universal service in South Africa was included in the Reconstruction and Development Programme document of the ANC. We said, this is a basic, it should be a basic, and an affordable telephone service should be available to all South Africans who reasonably request it, regardless of where they live. We then said we noted that there had been some development within the industry, but we raised this concern: our quest for universal access and universal service had not been addressed in a co-ordinated manner. We needed to improve our co-ordination around these particular aspects, although various obligations had been imposed on operators by the regulator.
There is a need to ensure that the capacity of the regulator to monitor and enforce compliance with the existing obligations is strengthened, because, as we speak, monitoring remains the key challenge currently facing the regulator. An example of this is where you have one inspector or officer monitoring more than 20 radio stations. Consistent with the ANC's resolution taken at Polokwane and before that, in Stellenbosch, we said that we needed to capacitate the regulator, but we must be quick to say that intervention must not be limited to resources only. It must also seek to deal with the evaluation of the effectiveness of the current system, which is council led.
I am raising this matter because a sense of instability has just shown within the regulator, led by those who believe that the executive-led system will be the best one. If needs be, we should take some time to look into this system so that, as we move forward, we are able to evaluate the system. We are now able to venture into a system which, we think, will be able to assist us.
Rural coverage is an important aspect of rural development. Last year, on 18 February, there was a gathering in Louisville, Mpumalanga on ICT Consumer Day. Community members of Goba, Skukuza, Satara and Louisville indicated that as poor as they might be, they did own television sets. The problem they were having was that when they switced them on, there was no picture because there was no coverage. We appeal to the SABC, Sentech and Icasa to attend to this matter urgently.
We all know that Telkom's national and international network constitutes the basic infrastructure critical to the economy, security and social development of this country. The question is: How do we utilise this network to ensure that we fast-track the realisation of universal service access to broadband services essential for socioeconomic development, driving connectivity and helping the underserved?
The people's movement, the ANC, understands that the unity of our people is and was one of the cornerstones of the struggle and of liberation. In order to unite our people, they must have access to equal information, so that they are able to reverse the social engineering of apartheid. The key task of the SA Post Office was the incorporation of the former TVBC states and other homelands, including central government, to form one effective postal service entity. Indeed, Sapo has passed this test with flying colours and we must be grateful to them.
The issue of clarifying the "universal obligation" is important in order to clearly define the obligations of the Post Office. The future growth of the Post Office is in part dependent on clarifying this issue, especially in the light of a projected drop in subsidy support over the next three years, and the incapacity of the regulator, Icasa, to fully protect the reserved services. We know that with the so-called monopoly of Sapo, they have it, but people just transgress that when and if they want to. As I have indicated, the regulator is found wanting because of an incapacity to address that matter.
I promised you, Minister, that I will give you three minutes of my time. I hope I will be able to keep to that promise.
Maybe one needs to clarify one issue. The ANC is the only political party known for going to its national conference every five years to evaluate and assess its programmes and to take new policy positions and move forward. Cope knows that, too, so it is not correct that we don't know how or we can't evaluate. We know others have never gone to any conference, but they stand in this House and articulate policy position. They don't have a Polokwane, they don't have a Limpopo, a Stellenbosch. They have nothing.
Minister, I must say that you must derive comfort from the fact that effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked. Leadership is defined by results, not attributes. [Time expired.] [Applause.]