The Minister of Communications, General Siphiwe Nyanda has officially switched-on a television base station in Agter Witzenberg Valley. This will ensure that the community has access to television broadcasting services.
The community of Agter Witzenberg Valley in the Cape Winelands District Municipality had for sometime been experiencing challenges in accessing TV signal transmission for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) channels 1 and 3 and the free-to-air channel, E-TV.
During a community Imbizo in 2004, the need for full television coverage was identified as one of the key issues that needed to be addressed by the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
The need for additional TV channels (1, 3 and e-TV) was then included in the Integrated development plan of the district municipality.
Following the approval of the Adjustments Budget by the Council of the District Municipality, environmental consultants were appointed by the district municipality to undertake an investigation for the proposed development of a television base station.
During the 2006/07 financial year, the district municipality negotiated with Sentech and the SABC for the allocation of funds pertaining to the construction of the television base station on the farm Slagboom in the Agter Witzenberg Valley.
Today, the community has access to full television coverage of the public broadcaster’s channels and the e-TV.
Minister Nyanda says there is a need to move with speed in providing communities that currently do not have access to broadcasting services with such infrastructure.
“Access to television signal transmission will ensure that the majority of South Africans particularly the poorest of the poor have access to government information that will empower them to assist their communities with service delivery.
“Until such time that all our people have the means to access information, we cannot say that we have met our developmental and empowerment objectives. My department will ensure that all stakeholders are brought on board to ensure smooth and rapid delivery of broadcasting services across the country, where none exist,” says Minister Nyanda.
For more information please contact:
Tiyani Rikhotso
Cell: 083 800 9936
