Minister of Communications Yunus Carrim today launched the Freevision satellite service to the GaMphahlele in Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality in Limpopo, an area that has intermittent broadcasting signal.
“As the government, we are determined to ensure that we bring services to all South Africans, especially the poor and those in rural areas. It is wrong that some communities are excluded from accessing services for whatever reason,” said Minister Carrim.
He said the Department of Communications is working with provincial governments and municipalities across the country to ensure that the number of South Africans without access to a television signal is, over time, significantly reduced from the current five million people.
Minister Carrim said that the Department will roll out services in the GaMphahlele area in a phased manner. Today, he handed over Freevision satellite dishes, decoders and TV sets to 10 indigent and child-headed households in the area. Another television set was installed at the Tribal Council offices and another one at the local post office.
“As a community, you now have access to the SABC 24-hour channel on a free to air platform. One of the good things about this is that the community will receive more news and information in Sepedi, your local language,” he said.
He also handed over computers that are connected to the internet to two primary and three high schools in the area. The computers will be used to primarily help improve the quality of education in the area.
“One of the key programmes that will be made available is on maths and science. If we want the young to be employed, and to succeed professionally, they have to have a good grounding in maths and science,” he said.
Minister Carrim called on the mobile operators to work with all relevant stakeholders to educate people South Africans about how they can use cellphones to create employment for themselves.
Minister Carrim visited the GaMphahlele after the Queen, Kgoshigadi Ngwanamohube Phatudi-Mphahlele, wrote to the Department requesting assistance with setting up a community radio station and telecentres.
He said the Department will assist to set up the community radio station.
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