The excessive courtroom in Pretoria has dominated in favour of broadcaster e.television in its bid to cease communications minister Solly Malatsi from switching off analogue tv broadcasts on 31 March.
The judgment is a political setback for Malatsi, who had set the deadline for switch-off after which refused to budge at the same time as he was dragged to courtroom by e.television.
The free-to-air broadcaster filed swimsuit in opposition to Malatsi in January after the minister introduced in December that every one analogue broadcasts could be switched off on the finish of March, or subsequent Monday.
In its utility, the broadcaster accused Malatsi of repeating a mistake made by his predecessor, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, by not consulting trade stakeholders earlier than deciding on a date for analogue switch-off.
“The operation of the analogue switch-off date of 31 March 2025, as introduced by the minister of communications & digital applied sciences of 5 December 2024, is suspended. The minister is interdicted from taking any steps to implement the switch-off of analogue alerts and ending twin illumination,” stated Decide Selby Baqwa within the ruling, which was handed down on Thursday.
Learn: E.television drags Solly Malatsi to courtroom over March digital TV deadline
Baqwa additionally slapped Malatsi with a prices order, which incorporates the price of authorized counsel for e.television as the primary respondent within the case, in addition to these of trade foyer teams Media Monitoring Africa and the SOS Assist Public Broadcasting Coalition, which had been the second and third respondents, respectively. — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
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