These reports resulted in a large number of enquiries from the public to the SABC’s Customer Service Centre.
The media reports arose from a discussion document of the DoC (Department of Communications) on South Africa’s planned switch-over from analogue television to digital technology. According to the reports, every household would require either a digital television set or a decoder in order to be able to receive digital transmissions.
In its discussion paper the DoC proposed that television licence fees be reduced or abolished, as a possible funding mechanism in order to assist less well-to-do households to acquire these decoders.
In its reaction to this proposal the SABC emphasised that the legal obligation in terms of the Broadcasting Act to pay one’s television licence fees remained in force. The SABC could not comment publicly at this stage on the DoC’s discussion paper but, as an important player in the switch-over to digital broadcasting, the Corporation would be providing its input to the Department by the due date as per the prescribed process.
