Publishers frustrated at lack of action re SA Post Office complaint

Specialist magazine publishers – including FTW Online’s publishing house, Now Media – have called for a review of their numerous complaints against the South African Post Office (Sapo) and the financial and other damage to the magazine publishing industry caused by the state-owned entity during its extended strike last year.

The group of publishers, who collectively lodged a formal complaint against Sapo on 11 December 2014 with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), said in an e-mailed statement that the “matter was dragging on and on, without an end in sight”.

The complainants are asking Icasa to consider and review its numerous complaints against Sapo and the financial and other damage to the magazine publishing industry caused by Sapo’s extended failure to meet its licence conditions, and to sanction Sapo accordingly.

According to a spokesperson on behalf of the complainants, this could include punitive financial sanctions against Sapo; entertaining alternative licence applications to that of Sapo; considering additional licence applications to supplement the activities of Sapo or even, as a last resort, the removal of Sapo’s (currently exclusive) licence.

“The complainants are aggrieved that Icasa’s complaints process, which is supposed to deal with such complaints expeditiously and efficiently, is dragging on and on due to the recalcitrance of Sapo and the apparent leniency and indulgences being granted by Icasa to its licensee, Sapo, in respect of this unacceptable behaviour,” said the spokesperson.

The date of a further hearing by the Icasa Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) has been set down for 5 November 2015, after which a final finding by the CCC is expected in respect of the complaint (with no date or timeframe given).