Regulator dies at seventy seven

Paris Mashile, former chairperson of South Africa's Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, died on October twenty-first after a long illness and hospitalisation.

Engineer turned activist regulator

Mashile held degrees in physics and electronic engineering from the University of Leeds and a master's in semiconductor laser physics. He worked as a research engineer before entering public service.

Activist who knew power's cost

A self-proclaimed anarchist and political activist, Mashile had been tortured by apartheid security police. He understood what it meant when institutions served power rather than the public.

Five years leading Icasa

President Thabo Mbeki appointed Mashile chairperson of Icasa on July first, two thousand five, on the advice of Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri. He served until June thirtieth, two thousand ten.

Opening markets to competition

During his term, Mashile introduced mobile number portability so customers could change networks and keep their numbers.Icasa licensed competitors to MultiChoice in pay television and began converting older licences to open markets Telkom had dominated.

The fight over call charges

Mashile's most visible battle was over mobile termination rates, the wholesale fees operators charged each other to carry calls. These fees were blamed for keeping retail prices high and blocking smaller competitors.

Rates cut from one twenty five to eighty nine cents

In March two thousand ten the peak mobile termination rate fell from one rand twenty five cents a minute to eighty nine cents.

“They can run but they can't hide.”

Vodacom listing setback

In two thousand nine, Icasa reversed its approval of Telkom's sale of fifteen percent of Vodacom to Vodafone and sided with Cosatu in court to stop the transaction.

Mashile apologises and warns of limits

In his final speech to industry in May two thousand ten, Mashile accepted responsibility, saying Icasa had failed.He warned the regulator was underfunded and that staying independent of government would be difficult for his successor.

“I concede we have failed you.”