DA may charge ICASA councillor

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Cape Town, 24 Jun 2009

If it is proven an ICASA councillor struck a deal with trade union movement Cosatu and its political allies to block Vodacom's listing, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will lay criminal charges against this person, it says.

DA communications spokesman Niekie van den Berg said yesterday in Parliament that, if it is indeed true that a councillor at the telecommunications regulator did strike such a deal to be reappointed, then the councillor must resign or be fired.

“In turn, Cosatu and the SACP [SA Communist Party] must also undertake the appropriate steps to investigate their role, identify those responsible for brokering the deal and take the appropriate action against them,” Van den Berg said.

He went on to say that such a deal would violate sections 3(3) and 3(4) of the ICASA Act, which requires the regulator be "impartial" and "independent" at all times, and that it should "function without any political or commercial interference".

“As a result, and if the facts support the various media reports on this issue, the Democratic Alliance will consider pressing charges against the councillor in question, as such a deal would constitute a criminal act,” Van den Berg said.

Another DA MP, Dene Smuts, yesterday also submitted a question to the SACP secretary-general and minister of higher education Blade Nzimande. She wants to ascertain whether Nzimande directly or indirectly discussed the matter with the councillor, or whether he undertook to influence or ensure the reappointment of the councillor when this person's term expires. It is unknown when the question will be answered.

Political interference in the running of institutions was a theme also adopted by another opposition party, the Congress of the People. Spokesperson Juli Kilian said ICASA board members were directly instructed, if not intimidated, to rescind their earlier decision on the Vodacom listing.

Kilian went on to say: “The ICASA board apologised profusely for their indiscretion to block the Vodacom listing - very loyal, thank you... But, clearly, the embarrassing folly was a direct result of blatant political interference by top leadership of the SACP, Cosatu and the ANC. And even worse, the ruling alliance recklessly ignored the impact on the market ...and on the integrity of the institution.”