Carly Barnes

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.

New visa rules issued by the South African Department of Home Affairs, which apply to international travellers wanting to visit South Africa on a temporary basis, now require all applications to be made abroad at a place of South African representation.

The new application procedure could cause set-backs to foreign film projects wanting to film in South Africa, as cast members have intense travel and work schedules which makes returning to their home countries to submit applications, extremely challenging.

Adding to this is unclear and contradictory information surrounding the directive, which has not been properly delivered to South African Missions abroad. Leon Isaacson, Managing Director of Global Migration SA said, “There is also no indication of how long the process will take, and there is conflicting information about the requirements, which creates confusion all-round.’

The visa policy change is potentially damaging to foreign investment and job creation in South Africa as it will create additional costs and severely hinder productions. One such project which may need to reschedule production at a great expense is the filming of Homeland, a US television series which is due to start shooting in Cape Town in June.

Isaacson concluded, “There needs to be a comprehensive policy review with a working, efficient system which facilitates much-needed investment and growth. Immigration is a critical part of that process and should be responsive and efficient.’

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has executed an immediate prohibition on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or camera drones in South Africa. Film shoots intending to use this type of production equipment, now deemed illegal, will no longer be able to obtain film permits.

The SACAA stated that the ban is due to a lack of regulations guiding its use, as it is a relatively new technology, and that the organisation along with others around the world, is in the process of understanding, outlining and incorporating UAVs into the civil aviation sector.

Kabelo Ledwaba, Communications Manager at the SACAA remarked, “There is ongoing global research in this area to overcome this deficiency.’

Professionals in the local film industry are rightly concerned, as there are some substantial implications to this ban. Not only are UAVs used in feature film production, but in tourism adverts and in the tracking of rhinos.

Two film permits for Cape Town productions have already been refused and Denis Lillie, Chief Executive of the Cape Town Film Commission (CFC) said, “The ban will not only affect feature films but also tourism promotion agencies often look for aerial shots. South Africa runs the risk of losing production activities to other areas who approve the use of drones.’

In response to the ban, the CFC has been in discussion with the SACAA, the Ministry of Transport, the Department of Trade and Industry as well as the Deputy Mayor of Cape Town and has requested that the SACAA implement their model aircraft policy for use of the drones.

If approved, the policy will require adopting the below guidelines, which are similar to those used in Europe and Australia:

• Flying only under 120m
• No flying within 4.2 nautical miles of an airport
• Flying only in line of sight of the operator (500m)
• No auto pilot flying or night flying
• No flying over public property and roads without permission.

In addition to this, the CFC requested that filmmakers support the initiative by sending letters which express the importance of UAV use in filmmaking and outline how the immediate ban will impact on employment and South Africa’s economy.

UAV companies were also encouraged to have a representative attend a meeting with the CFC and members of the insurance industry to form a lobby group, which would be able to tend to the situation.