Business Day reports that the Department of Communications has dissolved the Digital Dzonga advisory council that oversees digital migration, to be replaced by the department’s internal Digital Migration Office.
Screen Africa previously reported that former Minister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda dissolved the Digital Dzonga advisory council (made up of representatives from the industry, ICASA and the DoC) in 2010 because of perceived “conflicts of interests”. Although Nyanda subsequently appointed a new council the Digital Dzonga had been in limbo ever since.
An anonymous council member informed Business Day that they were told on Friday that their services were no longer required, and that they were probably ‘not seen as being effective’.
Spokesperson for Communications Minister Roy Padayachie, Tiyani Rikhotso, said they were busy filling positions within the Digital Migration Office.
The July issue of the Screen Africa print magazine carries a front page story on digital migration – at the time of going to press Rikhotso told Screen Africa that the department was reviewing the role of the Digital Dzonga.
