MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Digital Migration Costs Mount – R1.69 Billion and Counting

Digital Migration Costs Mount – R1.69 Billion and Counting

Dear Editor

In a written reply to the DA, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, revealed that to date, his department has spent R1.69 billion on the finalisation of the Broad Digital Migration (BDM). According to the Minister, the department incurred these runaway costs since 2015, more than R200 million every single year, with nothing to show.

The DA notes with great concern that the delays in finalising the analogue switch off has held the country at ransom, while delaying other development projects, such as the sale of spectrum.

The deadline for the analogue switch-off was Wednesday 31 May 2023, yet the Minister and department are clearly nowhere near ready.

Minister Gungubele made a commitment in the portfolio committee to provide an update to Parliament in the next committee meeting, which is scheduled to sit next Tuesday. The Minister advised that he is meeting with officials on Thursday and has requested the indulgence of the committee.

This is yet another ANC failure of sticking to court deadlines and just shows what their attitude is to the judiciary in this country. The DA is conscious of the fact that this will become yet another instance where the government is in contempt of court when the deadline is missed.

While the DA notes that the cost was for the procurement of set-top-boxes and related accessories, indigent registrations, distribution and the installation of the decoders, there is very little to show for the cost attached.

The project rollout was not well thought, hence the runway costs. Indigent households in South Africa rate the quality of the decoders very low and they also lament on the poor quality of the content choices of the channels.

The DA calls on minister Gungubele to provide a decisive leadership on the matter, and come before Parliament and outline a clear, well thought out and transparent plan on the analogue switch off and guarantee that no more taxpayer funds will be wasted due to the department’s mismanagement.

Regards

Tsholofelo Bodlani MP
DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Communications and Technologies

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I know that his has been asked before; \”Do you really have lions roaming the streets?\”