Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has brought a little Madiba spirit to the digital migration campaign.
The Minister was in Ga-Mothapo village in Limpopo over the weekend to raise digital migration awareness. South Africa is joining the global community in switching from analogue to digital broadcasting, which brings with it a host of benefits including better quality images on TV.
This round of the countrywide awareness campaign comes as South Africa celebrates late President Nelson Mandela’s birthday month, more specifically Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July. To celebrate the spirit of generosity the late Statesman embodied, Minister Muthambi committed to purchase television sets for two households in Ga-Mothapo.
She led a door-to-door campaign in the village, where signal reception is poor.
“Television is a very good educational tool. It broadens knowledge of different cultures, promotes tolerance and global understanding of international issues.
“As part of preparing for the transition to digital broadcasting, there is no other way to honour the great South African Statesman by buying new television sets for two families I visited in this village.”
One of the beneficiaries of the new TV sets is the mother of three, Hendrieka Lekotla, 51, who lives with her unemployed husband and four grandchildren.
“I will never forget this day. I never thought that we still have people who care about the poor. We don’t even have a radio in my household and I never thought that I will ever own a TV in my lifetime.
“As a family, we don’t have enough words to thank the Minister and government,” said Lekotla, who lives in a government subsidised house.
Another beneficiary, Ditero Mothapo, 53, said: “I’ve never heard about digital migration but I really want a TV to watch news and other entertainment programmes.
“The new TV will definitely restore my dignity. Our late President wanted to help those who were less fortunate in life and Minister Muthambi just reminded me of the true spirit of Madiba of making the living conditions of the poor better in our country.”
Digital television will provide better quality TV, with improved television reception and clearer audio. However, digital TV requires TV owners to have a set-top box (STB) to connect to their analogue TVs. Minister Muthambi said her department will also provide the two families and other poor TV-owning households in the area with government subsidised STBs.
A STB is a device that converts digital signals so they can be viewed on a traditional analogue television set.
Source: Government Communication and information System