Eastern Cape Oversight Visit Report; Subcommittee recommendation on ICASA Council vacancies, Matters Arising

Video The Portfolio Committee met on a virtual platform for its last meeting of the year to consider and adopt its oversight report to the Eastern Cape, as well as the report on the appointment of suitable candidates for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Council. During the Committee’s deliberation on the ICASA Council report, Members engaged in a detailed discussion on the selection of the six shortlisted candidates, considering their qualifications, expertise, and alignment with demographic and policy priorities. Emphasis was placed on promoting diversity, including youth representation, gender balance, and representation of national interest groups. The Committee emphasised that the list of candidates was not ranked in order of preference, and acknowledged the high calibre of all nominees. It also proposed exploring other ICASA roles, such as positions on the complaints and compliance committee, for candidates not selected for council positions. It approved the report for submission to the National Assembly. Once the Assembly adopted the report, it would be sent to the Minister, who would select four of the six candidates for appointment to the Council. These selections would return to the National Assembly for formal ratification. The Committee discussed the need to conduct an oversight visit to the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) to probe governance issues involving its board. These included the suspension of its acting managing director and the organisation’s leadership challenges. Members proposed an oversight visit to address these issues before year-end, particularly as the board's term of office was due to expire in January 2025. A potential joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education was also discussed to investigate irregularities in a Western Cape Education Department’s tender award, which SITA had flagged. The Committee indicated that it had noted Cabinet’s refusal to extend the analogue switch-off deadline beyond 31 December 2024. It had motivated Cabinet to extend the deadline due to concerns over the lack of sufficient satellite boxes for 4.4 million households, and its impact on citizens’ constitutional right to access free public broadcasting. The status of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Bill was clarified, with confirmation that the bill remained active despite earlier indications of its potential withdrawal. The Committee adopted its oversight report to the Eastern Cape, integrating the key findings and amendments. Its main highlights included challenges in inter-departmental communication, the SABC's debt to Sentech, and the need for robust post-implementation follow-ups.