Channel YemaSwati, VOC licences renewed
MBABANE - Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) has renewed a commercial television broadcasting services licence for Channel YemaSwati Television Station and a community broadcasting service licence for the Voice of the Church radio station.
ESCCOM also granted international and domestic commercial courier services licences to SHIPPII. Pty Ltd. SHIPPII is a technology and logistics company based in the country and South Africa. They are mainly focused on delivering people’s parcels within the electronic commerce (e-commerce) sector.
ESCCOM Chief Executive (CE) Mvilawemphi Dlamini said Section 6(b) of the ESCCOM Act mandates the commission to regulate and supervise the provision of postal services and electronic commerce, including courier services.
Dlamini said they were proud that a number of courier services had been licensed by the commission and the number was growing by the day.
Licensing
He explained that the commission approved the licensing of SHIPPII after an extensive evaluation process. “We are confident that the entity will be able to provide the services to our people and add value to the sector and the country’s economy at large,” Dlamini said.
He urged the company to make the licence and all regulatory frameworks their Bible, as they capture compliance requirements.
On the broadcasters, Dlamini shared that they were also mandated by its establishing statute, the ESCCOM Act, 2013, and the Electronic Communications Act, 2013, to grant any authorisation for the carrying out of any operation or activity relating to any matter within the remit of the commission.
The CE stated that the process of licensing and renewal of licences was a vigorous and engaged one, where the commission evaluated the application and considered a number of factors before a recommendation could be made.
“The commission considers not only the technical capability of the applicant, but also the financial viability and sustainability of the business. It is always undesirable that a person licensed by the commission goes on to be a market failure.
“Licensing comes with rights and obligations which the regulator has to continuously enforce while safeguarding the rights of the consumer,” he said. Dlamini mentioned that the TV and radio stations had been in the business for a long time and their existence preceded the establishment of the commission and they remained one of the pioneers of the broadcasting sector.
He explained that when reviewing the application for renewal for both entities, the commission engaged in an extensive exercise, where they had to satisfy themselves on the continued relevance, viability and sustainability of the stations.
“Although the commission identified a few challenges, we were satisfied that the renewal of the broadcasting licences was deserved.
“It is upon Channel YemaSwati TV and the VOC to ensure that the challenges identified are turned into opportunities because persistent and frequent non-compliance may result in the revocation of the licence,” Dlamini said.
He went on to state that these regulatory frameworks were not designed to be impediments to licensees, but catalysts for growth and sustainability.
He said they ensured quality of service and customer satisfaction, which directly translated to more revenue for a licensee.
Furthermore, Dlamini implored the two broadcasters to expand their customer base by being innovative and leveraging the digital platforms available. “The commission will step up its efforts in ensuring compliance by licensees and, as such, punitive measures shall be taken for transgressions. We appeal to both entities to have systems and processes in place for compliance,” Dlamini said. SHIPPII Pty Ltd, Eswatini Co-Founder Sibusiso Khumalo said the company had noticed that the e-commerce sector was growing and they wanted to be a part of the industry. Khumalo thanked ESCCOM for supporting them as a startup and trusting them with the licence.
Promised
He promised that they would ensure they put their best foot forward, not only to represent the company but also to make sure that they serviced their customers with excellence.
Meanwhile, Voice of The Church (VOC) National Director Zechariah Mthethwa said they were happy to get the licences renewed and thanked the commission for trusting them as national broadcasters, that they could do the work even in the coming five years.
He also thanked ESCCOM for walking along their side and making better broadcasters for the future. Mthethwa committed to working on the challenges faced by broadcasters, to change them into opportunities for growth.
“We believe that excellence praises God and excellence inspires people. We will work towards attaining excellence in the kingdom. We want to promise emaSwati that we are there for them on the radio and even on television. We will do our best to make sure that emaSwati are enjoying media landscape through us,” the VOC director said.