Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri will not be able to unilaterally appoint people to the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) council.
Speaking at an Atio conference on the Electronic Communications Bill, Mpetjane Lekgoro, MP and chairman of Parliament`s Portfolio Committee on Communications, was responding to questions about the minister`s right to appoint members to the council.
Amendments to the appointment policy proposed by the Electronic Communications Bill have been at the centre of widespread speculation on whether regulator, ICASA, would be able to maintain its independence.
"The separation of the ministry and the regulator has been a thorny issue but presentations supported the proposals we made in this regard," said Lekgoro. "Of course, it is the feeling of some that the minister should not be involved with appointments at the regulator and that this power should stay with Parliament as it did in the past."
Lekgoro assured the audience that Matsepe-Casaburri would not be able to impose appointment decisions on the panel.
"The Bill has defined clear processes for appointment of people to the ICASA council which provides five definite categories for industry representation and revolves around being open and public. While the minister will have the power to agree or not, she will not be able to appoint friends and impose her decision on the panel," he explained.
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