SA hopeful that vandalised Telecoms infrastructure will be protected by the SANDF

​​​The civil unrest has resulted in numerous telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure being destroyed. South Africa's telecommunications and broadcasting Regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), has published a notice indicating that, as at 13 July 2021, 113 network towers had been vandalised​. As stated by ICASA in its notice, such destruction "is a direct attack on the constitutional right of individuals and communities to access news and information that is accurate, unbiased and up-to-date about the current crisis".

In a Code of Conduct published by the Minister of Defence on 14 July 2021, members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have been instructed to protect property and national key points. This would naturally include critical infrastructure such as telecommunications networks, which must be protected to enable persons to make emergency calls and to communicate with law enforcement in general regarding any further outbreaks of violence.

Clients are advised to ensure that their back-up solutions and disaster recovery plans are sufficient to enable continuous, uninterrupted access to systems and data, in light of the above damage to infrastructure.

Disclaimer

These materials are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. While every effort is made to update the information regularly and to offer the most current, correct and accurate information, we accept no liability or responsibility whatsoever if any information is, for whatever reason, incorrect, inaccurate or dated. We accept no responsibility for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect or consequential, which may arise from access to or reliance on the information contained herein.


© Copyright Webber Wentzel. All Rights reserved.

Webber Wentzel > News > SA hopeful that vandalised Telecoms infrastructure will be protected by the SANDF
Johannesburg +27 (0) 11 530 5000
|
Cape Town +27 (0) 21 431 7000
Validating email against database, please wait...
Validating email: please wait...
Email verified: Please click the confirmation link sent to your mailbox, also check junk/spam folder. If you no longer have access to this email address or haven't received the verification email then email communications@webberwentzel.info
Email verified: You are being redirected to manage your subscription
Email could not be verified: Please wait while you are redirected to the Subscription Form
Unanticipated error: Saving your CRM information Subscription Form