Set-top boxes delivered
Communication Minister, Faith Muthambi recently promised to buy TV sets for two poor families in Nobody-Ga Mothapo village from her own pocket.
LIMPOPO – Hendrika Lekotla (51) and Ditero Mampe Mothapo (53) do not have TVs or radios and were very happy to hear Muthambi’s promise.
Hendrika is a mother of three and has five siblings who all live together in an RDP house, while Ditero shares home with three of his siblings.
Muthambi says she will ensure these families also get set-top boxes so they can catch up on all the latest TV programmes. The provision of set-top boxes to unemployed people is part of the Department of Communication’s project to provide better quality communication services in rural areas.
According to Muthambi, her department has already installed 97% of the free set-top boxes they promised to people in the Northern Cape’s Keimoes and SK area.
“I’m happy that people are registering to get free set-top boxes in large numbers. In order to qualify for a set-top box, people need to provide affidavits which prove they are unemployed,” said Muthambi.
Female chief of Nobody- Ga Mothapo village, Moremadi Mothapo says she is happy that almost 300 families applied for the free set-top boxes for the digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration project. “They will have access to more channels on a free to-air basis. The majority of people in Nobody Ga-Mothapo rely on social grants and some can’t afford to buy the latest TVs. These set-top boxes connect to their TVs and allow for better pictures and sound quality, access to an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) on their television screens. They will also be able to receive additional information services and interactive services on their TV sets such as games, information and weather services,” she explains.
“Currently, TV signal is poor in this area and only those who have DSTV have good signal. The cell phone network is also poor in this area and we have requested Minister Muthambi to do something about these issues,” she concluded.
