There was a time when the elimination of schools under trees as well as the eradication of mud classrooms featured prominently among the promises in each state of the nation address.
Year after year, the head of state would set a deadline and his ministers of finance and education would budget millions of rand for this purpose, but the targets were just never met.
As years morphed into a decade — with pupils in poor schools such as Makangwane Secondary in Non-Parella, Limpopo, continuing to learn under what one president described as “dangerous conditions that expose pupils and teachers to the elements” — the promises became less prominent.
These days they are hardly mentioned, even though, at the last count about two years ago, there were still about 400 mud schools in the Eastern Cape alone.
A dream deferred.
Is the auctioning of radio frequency spectrum going to be President Cyril Ramaphosa’s version of the “no-more-children-learning-under-a-tree” promise?
Since taking office four years ago, the president has talked up the government’s determination to move with speed in embracing the digital era by releasing more spectrum to mobile operators, hence enabling high-speed access to the internet and huge reductions in the costs of data.
The last time the country released new spectrum into the market was in 2005, when cellphones were still used predominantly for voice calls and high-speed internet services were not as much in demand as they are today.
Industry players and government policymakers alike have always seen the release of spectrum as one of the “quick wins” in Ramaphosa’s bid to attract new investments, create jobs and grow the economy.
There are benefits for the fiscus, too, as the auctioning of spectrum is likely to result in a windfall of at least R9bn for the National Treasury.
Yet despite the president’s clear determination that this happens and his administration reportedly leaning heavily on the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) to remove regulatory huddles, it is becoming clear that the March deadline for the auction won’t be met and that it may be many more months before consumers enjoy the benefits of lower data prices and improved network quality.
The latest stumbling blocks to a process that has been characterised by delays for more than a decade are the two separate court challenges lodged by Telkom and eMedia Holdings, the owners of e.tv, against Icasa and the government.
Is the auctioning of radio frequency spectrum going to be President Cyril Ramaphosa’s version of the 'no-more-children-learning-under-a-tree' promise?
eMedia has taken to the courts to challenge the state’s decision to switch the whole country to digital television by the end of March, arguing that this would prejudice millions of its viewers who are still on analogue and do not have decoders or set-top boxes.
The switch from analogue to digital television would free up the 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum bands which would then be made available for Icasa’s auction process for the likes of Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Rain.
But Telkom has gone to court to challenge the auction on a number of grounds, one of which is the fact that the process would take place while the eMedia case is still before the courts and the 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum will not be available.
At the heart of it all is a commercial battle for market dominance in a lucrative industry that is dominated by a handful of players.
The demand for data services is on the increase and will continue to grow, hence the release of spectrum is seen as “the new gold” by both established and emerging industry players.
When the stakes are this high, especially in an industry that is reliant on government licences, you need not just a strong and independent regulator.
You also need a stable government department with clear policies and a well-communicated vision for the industry.
Unfortunately for more than a decade now, presidents have treated the communications portfolio with disdain, appointing ministers who seemed to think their job was night-watchman of the SABC and its newsroom.
Since 2009, communications ministers have been changed more frequently than the South African Football Association changes Bafana Bafana coaches. And we all know what this constant chopping and changing did to our football.
The results are proving to be equally disastrous for the telecommunications industry.
One would have thought that since Ramaphosa was once a significant player in this industry in his capacity as former chair of MTN, he would have a better handle on issues and therefore guide industry players away from what Icasa calls “narrow and selfish commercial interests” and towards a settlement that satisfies all.
But somehow he seems to be as helpless as his predecessor.
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