It would appear a lack of leadership has become the order of the day in SA, with complacent - and largely incompetent - politicians seemingly unable to do more than merely wring their hands and wag their tongues as crisis after crisis hits the country.
Xenophobic attacks, the effective collapse of Eskom, the ever-present high crime rate, the abysmal standard of education - the list goes on endlessly. Unfortunately, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to examples of a lack of political leadership, so I suppose it is no surprise government has once again stumbled in its slapdash attempts at driving the digital migration process.
It is clear a lack of leadership has been at play in the digital broadcast migration process too, as the country has fumbled along for the past decade with its half-hearted attempts at migration. While progress did occur, it was scant, and we somehow managed to drop the ball at every conceivable opportunity.
While we busied ourselves with ensuring we missed every deadline, we have a plotted a course that will see us miss the one that matters most - the International Telecommunication Union's mid-2015 deadline to migrate.
At this late stage, it can be argued the high turnover of communications ministers, changes in administration and whatever else has led us to where we are... or perhaps, more aptly, to where we are not. Enough time has surely been wasted that we should not be faffing with minor details, but rather have formulated a workable plan that simply requires rubber-stamping in the interests of haste and expediency.
Unfortunately, even though we now have two ministers involved in this process, to a greater or lesser extent, neither has shown any hint of real leadership. Indeed, it can be argued our digital migration journey has now entered its most difficult leg, when it will need more guidance than ever before, as solid action is required to get things done.
Rudderless ship
Yet, neither the Department of Communications nor the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services has shown much leadership. In fact, like a rudderless ship, the process has practically run aground again.
If it wasn't as damaging to the industry and if it wasn't such a blatant show of incompetence and ineptitude, one would be tempted to say the current situation is nothing short of laughable. Yet, as ridiculous as it is, digital migration matters, and the more of a disaster it turns into, the bigger the cost to the country at the end of the day.
It is indeed a sad indictment of our leaders that we find ourselves trying to reconcile cost at least three times what government initially anticipated, meaning government will have to find at least another R6 billion to fund digital migration.
Unfortunately, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to examples of a lack of political leadership.
It is now estimated that decoders alone will cost a minimum of R4 billion, and this figure could swell to R6.5 billion if government supplies free boxes to eight million homes instead of the initially mooted five million. This amount is also without the cost of installing decoders, which could add as much as R2 billion to the project.
Secondly, government still lacks any clear idea of a firm turn-on date for digital television, with the Department of Communications pushing for an 18-month process. It is inconceivable that a project of similar magnitude and importance in the private sector would have been allowed to languish for so many years, and then still be given an 18-month turn-on timeframe. Instead, heads would have rolled and project leaders and teams would have been refocused on the clear and immovable goal that drives all business - profit.
No accountability
Yet, the revolving doors of political institutions mean goals are perhaps less clearly defined. Lines of accountability are even more blurred against a backdrop of politicking that takes precedence over active and sensible leadership.
Perhaps it is telling that the 18-month switch-over period is seen as the country fast-tracking the migration process. Perhaps it says something about the relaxed attitude that government is taking to the digital TV problem. Whatever it is, acting communications DG Norman Munzhelele recently said "we really need to move" on migration to free up spectrum to boost broadband penetration. Nothing new, and a little late with that sentiment, sir.
Thirdly, it seems we are facing yet another hurdle with the set-top box tender, with the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA having allocated wins to every single company that bid. But this process could come unstuck if etv is successful in its court bid to challenge the Broadcasting Digital Migration policy, a policy that is - oh you know - key to the entire process.
While it is evident that no single factor or individual is to blame for SA's thus far unsuccessful attempt at digital migration, it is also evident that until someone is held accountable and responsible, this process is unlikely to reach any meaningful conclusion. But, stepping up, taking names, kicking butt and ultimately taking responsibility would require leadership. And we're fresh out of that.
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