Dr Stephen Sipho Mncube has been appointed the new chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), replacing Paris Mashile whose five-year term ended on 30 June. Mncube is the former chairperson of state-owned signal distributor Sentech.
The announcement was made by Communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda, who emphasised that government would continue to respect the regulator’s independence. Nyanda made the point that Icasa needed to be strengthened with the necessary capacity in order for the regulator to efficiently deliver on its mandate. He emphasised that it was important for it to align its business of regulation with the policy objectives of government and the developmental goals of the country.
“This is important, especially due to the fact government has placed ICT’s at the centre of the country’s developmental agenda. We must utilise ICT’s to accelerate service delivery and empower our people.
“We will continue to engage Icasa within the available frameworks as stipulated by law. Having positioned ICT’s as an agent for the change we want to see in our country, it means government is a player in this sector, hence the need for an independent, strong and competent regulator to play referee,’ said Nyanda.
