The Independent Communications Authority (Icasa) has reportedly demanded that the department of communications start releasing R450m in funding by 11am on Monday or face legal action, amid an apparent battle over Icasa's handling of licensing high-demand spectrum.
City Press reported on Sunday that Icasa is in conflict with minister of communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, saying the independent regulator sent a letter to her office on Friday demanding the approval of its annual performance plan.
This approval is needed for the regulator to receive tranches of its R450m annual budget, with Icasa maintaining Ndabeni-Abrahams is overreaching by demanding it scrap elements of the plan referring to 5G telecoms networks.
PODCAST | Consumers are fed up with Telcos
Subscribe: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm
Citing sources, City Press said Ndabeni-Abrahams was seeking to make her own announcement regarding 5G cellular networks and the sale of new spectrum for mobile operations. This would allow her to fulfil her election promises.
DA communications spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said on Sunday the party would lodge a complaint over Ndabeni-Abrahams’s behaviour with public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, saying the minister was failing to uphold her constitutional duties.
“Minister Abrahams cannot be allowed to hold SA’s communications sector to ransom through deliberate political actions that are not in the public interest, but seek to salvage the waning political fortunes of her party, the ANC,” Van Damme said.
In his state of the nation address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that the communications minister would issue a policy directive to the communications regulator, Icasa, for the licensing of the high-demand radio frequency spectrum.
The release of more spectrum is seen as key to boosting competition in the telecoms sector, and reducing the high costs of data.
According to the department, this policy directive is to be completed by the end of April, implying that this will be released either on Monday or Tuesday.
The department of communications said on Sunday it was not aware of any threat of legal action from Icasa. An announcement regarding the policy directive for 5G telecommunications would be made in due course.
Icasa said on Sunday it had noted the media reports, but would only be in a position to respond to requests for comments on Monday afternoon.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.