On Wednesday, TechCentral reported that MultiChoice , working with specialised Western Cape police, had made an arrest of an individual behind the Waka TV streaming operation.
Now, in another enforcement action, a suspect has been arrested in Gauteng for the "illegal sale of internet streaming pirate devices that allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content, violating several legal statutes".
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, 4 June by the serious commercial crime unit of the Hawks in Gauteng. The person is accused of violating:
- Section 2 of the Cybercrime Act (unauthorised access to content);
- Sections 44 and 45 of the Rica Act (possession and sale of an infringing device); and
- Section 27 of the Copyright Act (infringement of a rightsholders rights).
The suspect, who MultiChoice did not name, was granted bail of R3 000, and the case is scheduled to be heard on 18 June at the Kempton Park magistrate's court.
"The apprehended suspect managed several pirate customers and resellers, as well as illegally distributed live TV channels, including several DStv channels, movies and series. The disruption caused by this raid is a significant blow to the illegal streaming industry in Africa," MultiChoice said in a statement.
