Acts Online
GT Shield

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act, 2000 (Act No. 13 of 2000)

Chapter III : Committees

17C. Procedure of Complaints and Compliance Committee

 

 

(1)

(a) A person who has reason to believe that a licensee or another person is guilty of any non-compliance with—
(i) the terms and conditions of a licence;
(ii) this Act; or
(iii) the underlying statutes,

may lodge a complaint with the Authority within 60 days of becoming aware of the alleged non-compliance.

(b) The Authority may—
(i) where the complaint concerns a licensee, direct the complaint within 30 days of receipt of the complaint, to the Complaints and Compliance Committee for consideration;
(ii) where the complaint concerns a person who is not a licensee, lay a charge against that person with the appropriate authority or institution in terms of a concurrent jurisdiction agreement concluded between the Authority and that authority or institution within 30 days of receipt of the complaint; or
(iii) investigate the complaint as contemplated in section 4(3)(n).

[Subsection (1) amended by section 23 of Act No. 2 of 2014]

 

(2) Before the Complaints and Compliance Committee hears a matter it must—
(a) provide the licensee to the dispute with—
(i) a copy of the complaint where a complaint has been lodged; and
(ii) a notice setting out the nature of the alleged non-compliance;
(b) afford the licensee a reasonable opportunity to respond to the allegations in writing; and
(c) afford the complainant a reasonable opportunity to reply to such response in writing where a complaint has been lodged.

 

(3) The Complaints and Compliance Committee must hear oral representations made by the parties referred to in subsection (2) and must permit such parties to be assisted by a legal representative or other adviser.

 

(4) The Complaints and Compliance Committee may hold a pre-hearing conference for the purpose of giving direction to the parties regarding the procedure to be followed at a hearing and other relevant matters determined by the Complaints and Compliance Committee.

 

(5) Notwithstanding this section, the Authority may prescribe procedures for the handling of urgent complaints and non-compliance matters.

 

(6) Sections 4C(2), (4) and (5) and 4D apply with the necessary changes required by the context to a hearing conducted by the Complaints and Compliance Committee.

 

(7)

(a) The Complaints and Compliance Committee must keep a record of all complaints received by it, all notices contemplated in subsection (2) issued by it and a record of all its proceedings and findings.
(b) Such record must be open to inspection by the public at the premises and during the normal office hours of the Authority.
(c) The Authority must, when so requested by any person and upon payment of the prescribed fee, provide such person with a copy of or extract from such record.

 

 

[Section 17C inserted by section 19 of Act No. 3 of 2006]