Outa Wants Probe Into Botched Digital Migration Project

The civil society lobby group wants parliament to launch an investigation into whats gone wrong with the migration project and what must be done to resolve it.

The project's biggest problem has been the distribution of set-top boxes for indigent households, with government struggling to manage the project. It had been the responsibility of underserviced-areas agency Usaasa but Sentech, the state-owned broadcasting signal distributor, has also become involved.

Despite being more than a decade behind schedule, the project is nowhere near completing its objectives, even as the deadline for switching off analogue broadcasts looms.

According to a statement on Thursday, Outa has submitted a research report to parliament's portfolio committee on communications digital technologies, "detailing key challenges" that have hindered the project.

"With the final deadline of 31 March 2025 for the analogue switch-off process fast approaching, there is growing pressure on parliament to ensure consequence management for the persistent delays and mismanagement of the project," Outa said in the statement.