JOHANNESBURG – ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu has called for an investigation into claims that MultiChoice tried to unduly influence government’s digital migration policy.
Last week the DA alleged that MultiChoice sought to pay the SABC R100-million for its 24-hour news channel.
Read more: MultiChoice and Guptas in millions pay-outs
The party alleges this was to be in exchange for the public broadcaster’s political influence over the digital migration policy.
Mthembu reiterated that the ANC’s official stance was that television set-top boxes needed for the digital migration should allow for encrypted channels.
Former Communications Minister Yunus Carrim claims senior MultiChoice and ANC officials tried to pressure him into ditching encryption.
The company also faces questions about payments made to then-Gupta-owned ANN7.
MultiChoice denies any wrongdoing.
Read more:EFF to report multichoice to competition commission
“That matter should be investigated and all those who might have done things not in accordance with our stated objectives must be called to account after a proper investigation,” says Jackson Mthembu, ANC Communications Committee Chairperson.
“Now if we want to call that state capture, I have no problem. Because if you want to benefit and you then want to influence government policy towards your benefit as a private citizen or corporate citizen, indeed you might be trying to capture the state for your benefit,” Mthembu says.
