1. COMMITTEE: Portfolio Committee on Communications

1. Chairperson: N N Kekana, MP

Period: January 2003-May 2003

Chairperson: MK Lekgoro, MP

June 2003 -

 

2. VISION:

To promote the development and implementation of policy for the telecommunications, postal and broadcasting services, as well as the control of fiscal transfers to the portfolio organisations such as the South African Post Office, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (Nemisa) and the Universal Service Agency.

 

3. MISSION:

To ensure that communications services are available to the people of South Africa and that they have access to both traditional and electronic media and communications, and information technology.

 

4. OBJECTIVES:

To monitor that the administration programme provides for management and leadership of the department, as well as for financial and human resources and other support services;

. To monitor and to ensure whether the Telecommunications Policy programme formulates policy, manages Government’s shareholding interest in Telkom SA Ltd and its subsidiaries, and controls transfers to the Universal Service Agency and the Universal Service Fund;

To monitor whether Postal Services develops policy for the postal sector, manages Government’s shareholding in the South African Post Office Ltd and its subsidiaries, and provides for the Postal Regulator and the licensing authority for postal services;

To monitor whether the Broadcasting Services Policy formulates broadcasting policy, manages Government’s shareholding in the SABC and Sentech (Pty) Ltd, and controls the transfers to Icasa, Nemisa and the SABC;

To monitor whether auxiliary and associated services facilitate and conduct research and provides support services that promote the department’s aims.

 

5. List of entities overseen by Committee:

Department of Communications

Government Communications and Information System (GCIS)

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA)

National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (Nemisa)

South African Broadcasting Corporation

Sentech

South African Post Office (SAPO)

Telkom

Universal Service Agency (USA)

 

 

 

2. SUPPORT:

2.1 Control Committee Secretary: Marc Philander

Period: 1 January 1999 - date

2.2 Committee Secretary: Rita Schaafsma

Period: 1 January 1996 - date

2.3 Committee Assistant: Chantal Paulse

Period: 1 May 2001 - date

2.4 Secretary to Chairperson: Nina Pasensie

Period: 1 October 1996 - date

2.5 Researcher (Research Unit): No dedicated research support

Period:

2.6 Legal Support: Support from Parliamentary Law Advisers

Period: Whenever required

3. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE (Include dates of appointment and discharges)

Bill No.	Short title	Public Hearing	No of Submissions	Amendments	No of hrs spent
B40-2003	Postal Services Amendment Bill	Nil	Nil	None	01h30
B65 -2003	Telecommunications Amendment Bill	Yes	Four	Yes	03h15

Document	Action to be taken	Date Discussed	No of hrs spent
Shortlist: Candidates for appointment on Independent Communications Authority of SA		21 January 2003	0.55
Interviews: Independent Communications Authority of SA and Report		4 February 2003	4:00
Vote 27: Department of Communications: Briefing	Presentations by Icasa, SABC, Sapo, Telkom	11 March 2003	6:10
Committee Programme: Adoption		12 March 2003	1:45
Sapo: Briefing and consideration of Financial Statements for 1998, 1999 and 2000		18 March 2003	3:50
Vote 7: Government Communications Information System: Briefing		25 March 2003	2:15
Adoption of Annual Report 2002, and of Minutes, Farewell to Chairperson		13 May 2003	1:35
SABC: Briefing on Draft Editorial Policies		3 June 2003	3:40
Election of Chairperson; Adoption of Minutes and Programme		25 June 2003	0:45
Postal Services A/Bill – Briefing DOC: strategic plan - Briefing	Presentations: Icasa, SABC, Sapo, Telkom, Sentech, USA	20 August 2003

5. REPORTS TABLED (See paragraph 11)

Title	Objective/s	Result/Outcome

6. APPEARANCES BEFORE COMMITTEE

1. Annual Departmental/Entity Report

Title	Date of Publication	Comments/Key Issue	No of hrs spent

 

2. Auditor-General's Report

Title	Date of Publication	Key Issues	No of hrs spent

 

 

 

 

3. Papers, Matters referred to Committee in ATC

Subject	Date considered	Publication Date of Report	Key Issues	No of hrs spent
Filling of vacancies on Icasa Board       Appointment: Board of the Media Development & Diversity Agency   Report and Financial Statements of State Information Technology Agency, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 127-2001]. Report and Financial Statements of the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority for 2000-2001, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001. Letter from the Minister of Communications, dated 19 January 2002, addressed to the Speaker explaining the late tabling of the report and financial statements of the South African Post Office for 2000-2001 were delayed due to the vacuum in senior management, the appointment of the new Board, the appointment of the new auditors and the termination of the Strategic Management Partnership with the New Zealand Post. Written explanation, dated 19 January 2002, from the Minister of Communications in terms of section 65(2)(a) of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No 1 of 1999), setting out reasons why the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for 2000-2001 could not be tabled in time. Memorandum on Vote No 7 – "Government Communications and Information System", Main Estimates, 2002-2003. Memorandum on Vote No 26 – "Communications", Main Estimates, 2002-2003. Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Department of Communications for 1999-2000. Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Media, Advertising, Publishing, Printing and Packaging Sector Education and Training Authority for 2001-2002, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2001-2002 [RP 105-2002]. Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority for 2001-2002, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2001-2002. Report and Financial Statements of Sentech (Pty) Limited for 2001-2002. Letter, dd 4 Oct 2002 from the President of the Republic informing Parliament of the resignation of Councillor Néel Smuts from the ICASA Council – referred to the committee 6 Nov 2002.	25 April 2002         20, 21 August 2002     Noted 2003           To be noted in 2003                 To be noted in 2003                             To be noted in 2003                       10 May 2002       26 Oct 2002                 To be noted in 2003               To be noted in 2003                 To be noted in 2003   To be dealt with in 2003                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Noted 20 May 2003	2 May 2002         26 Aug 2002	Public Process of nominating Candidates to be interviewed by committee, considered by National Assembly and recommended to President for appointment. Public Process of nominating Candidates to be interviewed by committee, considered by National Assembly and recommended to President for appointment.	25:00         27:40                                                                                                         8.15       4.10

 

 

4. Matters referred to Committee by Chairperson/Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Capacity Building for Members

Subject Matter	Date	Number of Attendants	Venue	No of hrs spent

2. Planning Sessions

Subject Matter	Date	Number of Attendants	Venue	No of hrs spent

3. Conferences

Subject Matter	Date	Number of Attendants	Venue	No of hrs spent

7. OTHER MATTERS DEALT WITH

1. Public Hearings (See under 4. DELIBERATIONS)

Subject	Date	Public Hearings Held	Total Submissions	No of hrs spent
Media Development and Diversity Agency Bill [B2-2002]	5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18 March	Yes	14	33: 35
Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill [B8-2002]	14, 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 May and 3 June	Yes	61	72.28
Broadcasting Amendment Bill [B34-2002]	16, 17, 18, 20 Sept and 15, 16, 18 October	Yes	28	48: 55
Report back on 2001 AAA hearings	12-13.11.2002	Yes	15	13: 50
Cellular Industry Issues	05.11.2002	Yes	35	8: 17

2. Oversight and Fact Finding Activities

Oversight Activity	Date	Title of Report	Date Tabled in the House

 

Period	Purpose of visit e.g. Fact finding investigations	Number of Members	Number of Staff	Date Report Tabled	Costs

Period	Purpose of visit e.g. Fact finding investigations	Number of Members	Number of Staff	Date Report Tabled	Costs

2. MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION OF LEGISLATION

Date	Legislation	Report	Date Tabled

 

3. MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PFMA

Date	Department or Entity	Report	Date Tabled

7. TABLING OF COMMITTEE REPORTS

Title/Topic	Publication Date	Date Reported
Media Development and Diversity Agency Bill [B2-2002]	12 April 2002	18 March 2002
Filling of vacancies on ICASA Board	2 May 2002	25 April 2002
Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill [B8-2002]	4 June 2002	3 June 2002
Appointment of Board of Media Development and Diversity Agency	26 August 2002	22 August 2002
Broadcasting Amendment Bill [B34-2002]	18 October 2002	18 October 2002
Broadcasting Amendment Bill [B34B-2002]	12 November 2002	12 November 2002
Hearings on Advertising and Marketing Industry	13 November 2002	13 November 2002

 

8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES/INTERACTION WITH INSTITUTIONS

Organisation	Subject Matters	Date Reported

 

9. SPONSORSHIP

Donor	Purpose	POs Approval Date	Amount

 

10. REVIEW OF YEAR'S WORK – RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSIONS