The Democratic Alliance (DA) has slammed communications minister Faith Muthambi's decision to waive the need for a valid TV licence to register for subsidised set-top boxes (STBs).
During her department's budget vote speech last week, Muthambi told Parliament there has been slow registration take-up by citizens due to the TV licence requirement.
SA's border-lying areas are in the process of migrating from analogue to digital broadcasting.
The minister stated that with agreement from SABC management, the TV licence requirement for the STB subsidy registration process has now been removed.
In a statement, DA shadow minister of telecommunications and postal services Marian Shinn says she has written to Muthambi to request she and the SABC embark on a proper legal process.
"This decision is unlawful in terms of the Broadcasting Act... that states no person may use any television set unless such person is in possession of a television licence issued by the corporation, unless exempted by regulation," says Shinn in the statement.
"...The decision to waive the TV licence requirement is the responsibility of Parliament not the SABC board."
Shinn adds: "Minister Muthambi has had two years to regulate an appropriate amendment to the law and put the matter before Parliament and the public for discussion. She has neglected to do so, despite my regular prompting via parliamentary questions that she should consider a regulatory option to the dilemma.
"While the DA respects the law that requires TV set users to have valid TV licences, a sympathetic view needs to be taken to ensure poor households are not excluded from access to the public broadcaster and other TV stations' programmes because they cannot afford a licence."
Since the registration process of qualifying TV-owning households commenced in October 2015, over 14 000 STB applications have been recorded.
Government plans to provide free STBs to five million poor TV-owning households across the country.
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