We can only hope that the appointment of Karabo Motlana as head of ICASA will improve the telecoms situation. I like that he has come from industry into the public sector, rather than the all too familiar other way around.

New head Karabo Motlana had the experience, knowledge and respect of the industry necessary to lead Icasa in the right direction, Mashile said.

Several other managerial posts had also been filled in the past few weeks and Icasa now had the right blend of engineers, lawyers, economists and public policy experts to get the job done. “We are now a team and a lot will be heard about the quantum difference we are going to make compared with the past. We are looking forward to a fruitful working relationship where we will be able to tackle some of the challenges facing us,” Mashile said.

Motlana is currently Cell C’s head of regulatory affairs and previously worked in Telkom’s regulatory and government affairs department.

He is joining Icasa as it tackles a massive workload, with a completely new licensing regime imposed on the telecoms sector, and a broadcasting sector undergoing a switch from analogue to digital technologies and new pay television players being licensed.

Motlana said he took the job because after 12 years of wrangling with Icasa from the other side, it was time to join up and see what he could do to help. The job faced by Icasa was large and wide ranging, he said.

“It’s an ambitious agenda but one wants to find out what the issues are and whether they can be addressed through a rational process. We have a new legal framework and we are not operating in accordance with it. There is a whole raft of guidelines, directives and draft regulations and we need to take them seriously and apply them.”

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