The agency set up to ensure all South Africans have access to a telephone is unable to deliver this mandate on its own, reports Ann Eveleth
The Universal Service Agency’s (USA) ambitious plan to roll out hundreds of rural “telecentres” to connect remote areas to telephones and the Internet has virtually run aground in the face of political turf battles, internal strife, corruption allegations and technical hitches.
The agency has barely managed to deliver 10% of the telecentres promised by targets it set for itself two years ago. At least 10% of these are not functioning because they have no telephone link-up, while a further third of those set up are mere shadows of the original models.
USA acting head Fikile Khumalo confirms that only 28 centres have been set up so far. Ten of these are “mini-centres” that offer only a few of the services originally envisioned, and 12 of the 18 full telecentres were set up largely by the Canadian International Development Research Council.
The figures stand in stark contrast to the promise of former USA head and South African National Civics Organisation president Mlungise Hlongwane.
Launching the USA’s Telecentre Project to much international fanfare in November 1997, Hlongwane promised to roll out “80 to 150” telecentres by March 1998. Thereafter, the USA was expected to set up between 100 and 150 centres a year.
By now this plan should have produced between 255 and 410 telecentres countrywide. Almost half-way through its five-year lifespan and unable to deliver this mandate on its own, the USA decided earlier this year to outsource the provision of telecentres, awarding contracts worth R4,5-million to three companies to set up 30 new centres by the end of the year.
The Telecentre Project was the USA’s main vehicle through which to deliver on its short-term goal of ensuring that all South Africans have access to a telephone within a reasonable distance. Wits University researcher Peter Benjamin estimates that this “universal access” goal would require a further 15 000 “phonepoints” around the country, but he questions whether telecentres are the best way to do this.
The government, Telkom, Vodacom, MTN and a range of smaller telecommunications service providers have paid a whopping R25- million into the Universal Service Fund set up to finance USA projects. So far, however, only R5,8-million has been spent from this fund, although the USA’s 22- member staff has consumed about R9-million a year in operational costs from a separate budget since its formation in March 1997.
Khumalo says the USA’s backlog was partly due to “a lack of co-operation from Telkom”, and partly to a turf war with the Department of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting, which has opposed operational independence for the agency.
But a March 1999 petition signed by 17 “concerned staff members” blames the delays on two senior USA managers. The petition accuses the two managers – whose names are known to the Mail & Guardian – of “working actively to retard the progress of the agency”.
The petition alleges that the two managers failed to approve much-needed appointments, travel costs and technology that were required to achieve the USA’s mandate goals. They are also accused of undermining the management of the agency by communicating directly with the minister and by ignoring strategic decisions.
Worse still, the petition alleges that the two managers collectively authorised payment advances incorrectly; took unauthorised trips at the expense of the USA; and received double salaries. The petition follows the decision of one senior manager to axe six of the USA’s nine provincial fieldworkers.
Khumalo says the manager was simply implementing a department decision that the fieldworkers were too expensive, at an average monthly salary of R6 000. He said four of the fieldworkers are now fighting against their dismissals in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Nevertheless, Khumalo says he ordered an investigation into the remaining “serious allegations” from staff. This resulted in disciplinary enquiries being launched against both managers. One of these has been completed, but the results are not yet known. The other is expected to take place in the coming weeks. Khumalo said the department was unhappy with his decision to send the matter for investigation, due to the “irregular” nature of the staff petition.
But he added that “this was on my head, and if allegations of fraud are made in government, you have to stand your ground”. Khumalo said the department’s opposition to the fieldworkers had, however, forced the USA to reconsider its delivery plans. “When we realised that the department was intent on ensuring that the agency was not thick on the ground, we had to restrategise. We decided to get SMMEs [small, medium and micro-enterprises] to come in to do the work of the fieldworkers,” he says.
This is what led first, to the introduction of mini-telecentres, and second, to the decision to outsource the larger telecentres. “We decided we should shift to more of a facilitator role,” Khumalo adds. Even this role has, however, been plagued by problems. Khumalo said efforts to get Telkom to connect telephone lines to the centres had often fallen on deaf ears. “They have not been very co-operative, and Satra [the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority] doesn’t seem to be in a position to get Telkom to do things.” The USA approached Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri this week to intervene, but Khumalo says she referred them to Satra. “It appears that both the minister and the regulator are just too scared of Telkom, or maybe Telkom is untouchable,” he adds.