Work has come to a standstill at StarSat’s Midrand places of work following a raid by communications regulator Icasa and the police on Wednesday.
StarSat advertising and marketing supervisor Jan Harmse instructed TechCentral that when the workforce from Icasa arrived with the police shortly after 9am, they began yanking out plugs and cables throughout the constructing, lastly specializing in StarSat’s server room the place racks continued to be disconnected and catalogued.
“Our [South Africa’s] methods are off however the remainder of Africa is off as properly. In order that they pulled the proper cables however in addition they pulled the wrong ones as a result of they only got here in and beginning pulling, they didn’t ask us something,” mentioned Harmse. StarSat shareholder StarTimes operates pay-television companies in a number of African markets, the place it competes with MultiChoice Group.
In keeping with Harmse, the raid by Icasa comes as a shock to the satellite tv for pc service supplier, which held a media convention a day earlier than wherein it vowed to struggle communications regulator Icasa’s resolution ordering that StarSat be shut down following its failure to resume its working licence on time. “It is a full shock, there was no forewarning,” he mentioned.
However a 20 September assertion by Icasa contradicts this notion. Within the assertion, Icasa mentioned On Digital Media (ODM) – the mother or father firm of StarSat – “did not submit a licence renewal software inside the required timeframe set by the Digital Communications Act and associated rules”.
“The laws requires a licensee that holds a person broadcasting service licence to submit its renewal software to the authority no sooner than 12 months and no later than six months previous to the expiry of the licence,” it mentioned.
Prayer circle
“Regardless of quite a few reminders, ODM submitted its licence renewal software after the expiry date on 10 November 2023. The authority doesn’t have the legislative or regulatory mandate to contemplate a renewal software for a licence that has already expired.”
When TechCentral arrived at StarSat’s places of work on Wednesday, a big group of firm staff had been huddled in a prayer circle exterior its important doorways. Inside, staff had been clumped into teams of two or three, some trying bewildered and others in tears.
StarSat’s head workplace homes about 200 employees members.
Learn: StarSat vows to struggle on amid Icasa licensing dispute
Harmse mentioned StarSat’s authorized counsel had a dialog with one of many Icasa representatives on web site and is now headed to court docket to hunt an pressing interdict in opposition to the regulator.
Nevertheless, not one of the Icasa representatives on web site had been ready to have interaction with TechCentral. Icasa has been contacted for formal remark and this text might be up to date as soon as that is acquired. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
