President Jacob Zuma has signed into law the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) Amendment Act of 2014 as well as the Electronic Communications Amendment Act of 2014.
The Icasa Act sought to provide for more clarity on the powers and duties of Icasa, its councillors and committees, and to improve the organisation’s efficiency while aligning the original Act more closely with the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999.
Meanwhile, the Electronic Communications Amendment Act looked to amend the Electronic Communications Act of 2005 so as to align it with broad-based black economic-empowerment initiatives, improve the governance provisions of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) and refine licensing issues.
This Act also sought to provide the Communications Minister with the power to issue policy directions to the USAASA and broaden the scope of policy directions that may be issued by the Minister.