‘Drop Stella’ move claimed
Vodacom said to want new minister of communications
● A mobile giant has been accused of lobbying for the axing of communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams as the battle over the licensing of high-frequency spectrum intensifies.
Numerous highly placed industry and government sources have told the Sunday Times that Vodacom executives were clandestinely lobbying to have the minister removed from the communications portfolio after the May 8 elections.
The cellphone giant, however, has said the allegations are “false” and “baseless”.
With the ANC expected to win the elections, albeit with a reduced majority, there is intense behind-the-scenes jostling for positions in the next executive. Interested stakeholders are also trying to influence the composition of the cabinet.
Attempt to peddle influence
Top-level industry and government insiders said Vodacom was at the centre of clandestine lobbying to have Ndabeni-Abrahams either dropped from the cabinet or moved to another portfolio after the elections.
A government source said Vodacom had roped in executives of its parent company, Vodafone, to assist in influencing government policy on the allocation of spectrum and even lobby for a minister who will act favourably to the industry.
“There are vested interests. They have decided to deal with Stella so that she is not retained in the portfolio. [They are] hoping for a new person and then boom, licences, and they are in the moola,” said a top government aide with knowledge of the sector, who asked not to be named.
The Vodafone executives were in the country in the period leading up to the state of the nation address (Sona) in February and are said to have met a number of government and other leaders.
Ndabeni-Abrahams is said to have been upset when Vodacom brought the executives from Vodafone to a meeting without informing her first.
She is also said to have called out the company for inviting her to one meeting and inviting director-general Robert Nkuna and ministerial advisers to a separate meeting, viewing this as an attempt to divide the ministry and the department.
Ndabeni-Abrahams is understood to have told Andrew Barendse, Vodacom executive in charge of regulatory affairs, that she felt ambushed at a meeting meant to be attended by the cellphone giant’s CEO, Shameel Joosub, when executives from Vodafone showed up.
In a written response sent yesterday, Vodacom denied lobbying against the minister.
“Vodacom is politically impartial and will not be drawn into any political processes for the appointment of ministers, which resides with the president of the republic as mandated by the constitution.”
The company said it had very good relations with the ministry. “The frequency of meetings between the ministry and Vodacom is generally informed by the agenda of the government at any given period and discussions often pivot around matters of mutual public policy concern.”
It also defended the presence of executives of Vodafone in the country in the period leading up to the Sona.
“Vodafone, like its subsidiary Vodacom, sees Sona as an opportunity for sharing ideas and information with government stakeholders, and invariably use this platform to affirm their investment commitments to SA,” said a company spokesperson.
Ndabeni-Abrahams’s spokesperson, Nthabeleng Mokitimi-Dlamini, said the minister was not aware of the alleged campaign by Vodacom or any lobby group and would therefore not comment.
“The minister and other departmental representatives do from time to time meet with stakeholders, including Vodacom, on a wide array of sector-related issues,” said Mokitimi-Dlamini.
Meanwhile, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa), which licenses the spectrum, said the reasons for the delay in the finalisation of the policy on spectrum were unclear. “Icasa does not understand why it has not been possible for the ministry and the department to finalise the policy directive process.”
It said although it was not opposed to the minister issuing policy direction, “the role of the minister — if any — should be defined in terms of applicable law, including the Electronic Communications Act”.
The minister announced this week that she was deferring the policy announcement to the next administration.
Icasa and Ndabeni-Abrahams have been involved in a spat during which the regulator threatened court action if the first tranche of its R450m budget was not released.