The Portfolio Committee on Communications will next week conduct oversight visits in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The visits will take place from 28 March to 1 April 2011.
The committee will visit the offices of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), Sentech and the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
The purpose of these oversight visits is to verify if the reports presented to the committee about, and from these entities are a true reflection of what is happening on the ground.
Committee Chairperson Mr Eric Kholwane said the visits would serve as the measurement indicator against the service delivery commitments by the executive to the people as well as to help Parliament to perform proper oversight on these entities in relation to, among others, the following:
- Freedom to receive or impart information or ideas;
- Whether the broadcasting regulator (ICASA) has been successful in assisting community-based radio broadcasters through the issuing of licenses, if not what are the constraints
- Whether the Thusong Service Centres in the rural areas have been of assistance to communities
- The role that Sentech has played as signal distributor in ensuring that the provincial population is able to listen to SABC radio, television and community-based radio stations.
Portfolio Committee on Communications oversight visit programme:
Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal
| Day one: Monday, 28 March 2011 – Eastern Cape – Port Elizabeth | |||
| Time | Activity | Site | Contacts |
| 10h55 | Members arrive at Port Elizabeth and drive to SABC |
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| 11h45 to 12h30 | Lunch at SABC |
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| 12h30 to 13h00 | Site visit: SABC |
| Mr Zola Yeye 082 412 8089 |
| 13h00 to 14h30 | Meeting SABC employees |
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| 14h45 to 17h45 | Drive to Alice |
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| 18h00 to 18h45 | Forte Community Radio | Forte Community Radio (Alice) | Ms Vuyelwa Mdazana 084 649 6430 |
| 19h00 to 19h30 | iDikelethu Newspaper | Idikelethu Newspaper (Alice) | Ms Thembisa Mjiba 073 469 2858 |
| 20h00 to 22h30 | Drive to East London |
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| Accommodation to Hemingways Hotel |
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| Day two: Tuesday, 29 March 2011 – Eastern Cape – East London | |||
| 06h00 to 06h45 | Breakfast |
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| 06h45 to 09h45 | Drive to Cala (3 hours drive) |
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| 10h00 to 12h00 | Site visit & function ( hand over the MDDA funded OB unit and possibly USAASA support) | Vukani Community Radio - Cala | Mr. Xola Nozewu 083 951 6160 |
| 12h00 to 12h45 | Lunch at Vukani CR |
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| 12h45 to 13h00 | Drive to Post Office in Cala |
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| 13h00 to 14h00 | Site visit to the Post Office |
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| 14h00 to 17h00 | Drive to East London Airport |
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| 18h45 | Fly to Durban |
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| Accommodation @ Southern Sun Elangeni |
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| Day three: Wednesday, 30 March 2011 – KwaZulu-Natal – Durban | |||
| 06h00 to 06h45 | Breakfast |
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| 07h00 to 10h30 | Drive to Jozini (3⅓ hours) |
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| 10h45 to 12h00 | Site visit: Maputaland CR | Jozini – Maputaland CR | Simone Ntsele 083 643 4029 |
| 12h15 to 13h15 | Indumo Telecentre |
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| 13h30 to 14h15 | Lunch at Jozini |
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| 14h30 to 15h00 | Drive to Zisize Education Trust |
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| 15h15 to 16h30 | Site visit to Zisize Educational Trust | Ingwavuma | Hlengiwe Mthimkhulu 084 622 4592 |
| 16h45 to 20h00 | Drive back to Durban |
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| Accommodation at Southern Sun Elangeni |
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| Day four: Thursday, 31 March 2011 – KwaZulu-Natal – Durban | |||
| 06h00 to 06h45 | Breakfast |
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| 07h00 to 07h30 | Drive to Emhlanga |
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| 07h45 to 08h45 | East Coast Radio |
| Naveen Singh 082 373 9495 031 570 9414 |
| 09h00 to 09h15 | Drive to Sentech |
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| 09h15 to 10h15 | Site visit Sentech |
| Mr M Ndleleni 083 575 75581 082 440 5576 |
| 10h30 to 10h45 | Drive to KwaMashu |
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| 11h00to 12h00 | Digital Hub site visit |
| Mandla Sithole 082 886 8561 |
| 12h15 to 12h30 | Drive to Pineinetown |
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| 12h30 to 13h30 | Site visit EzaKwazulu |
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| 13h45to 1400 | Drive to SABC |
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| 14h00to 14h45 | Lunch at SABC |
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| 15h00 to 15h40 | Site visit SABC |
| Bongani Mpanza 031 362 5133 |
| 15h45 to 17h15 | Meeting Employees SABC |
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| 17h30 to 17h45 | Drive to Igagasi FM |
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| 17h45 to 18h45 | Site vist Igagasi |
| Pamela Kolesnicof 083 312 1611 031 584 5331 |
| 19h00 to 19h45 | Drive to Hotel |
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| Accommodation at Southern Sun Elangeni |
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| Day five: Friday,1 April 2011 | |||
| 06h00 to 06h45 | Breakfast |
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| 07h00to 07h30 | Drive to ICASA |
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| 07h30 to 08h30 | Site visit ICASA |
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| 08h30 to 09h00 | Drive back to Hotel |
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| 09h15 to 12h00 | Meeting representatives Community Radio Stations and Print Media |
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| 12h00 to 13h00 | Lunch |
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| Visit to Household Pilot/DTT |
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| End of the oversight visit!!!! | |||
Contact details:
1. Mr Sibongile Makopi – Director: Sharehoder Management (DoC): 083 654 4828
2. Mr Nkopane Maphiri – Programme Director (MDDA): 083 425 8625
3. Mr Monde Ndleleni and Nthebeleng Mokitimi – Sentech: 083 5757 581
4. Mr Ayanda Cishe –Manager Parliametary Liaison – SABC: 082 555 8139
5. Mr Mawethu – Regional Manager -Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) – Eatsren Cape (EC): 079 511 9275
6. Mr M Sithole – Regional Manager –USAASA – KwaZulu-Natal (KZN): 082 886 8561
7. ICASA
8. GCIS
9. Post Office
Enquiries:
Yoliswa Landu
Tel: 021 403 8203
Cell: 073 738 0182
E-mail: ylandu@parliament.gov.za
