Following his inauguration on 24 May, President Jacob Zuma announced the members of his new Cabinet on 25 May, which included Siyabonga Cwele as the Minister of Communications, a department now renamed as Telecommunications and Postal Services.
Cwele was previously the Minister of State Security and is a supporter of the Secrecy Bill. He replaces Yunus Carrim who had been making strides in developing South Africa’s broadband policy and effectively solving problems at government agencies within his portfolio.
Zuma stated that the newly formed department would include a broader scope of functions and would be formed from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Brand SA and the Media Development and Diversity Agency.
“We have established a new communications ministry which will be responsible for overarching communication policy and strategy, information dissemination and publicity, as well as the branding of the country abroad,” said Zuma.
Cwele will need to address a number of industry challenges including the country’s delayed migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT). He will also need to rectify an ineffective Post Office, the poorly governed Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa, which is responsible for funding communications access in rural areas, and the widely criticized public broadcaster.
