South Africa’s communications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), on Thursday lashed out the use of mobile signal jamming devices in Parliament just before President Jacob Zuma’s State Of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening.

Icasa said random use of jamming devices is forbidden by law.

“The position of the authority (Icasa) on this matter is as follows: The use of jamming devices by any entity other than National Security Cluster Departments is not authorised and or permitted,” Fin24Tech quoted Icasa as having said.

“The National Security Cluster departments may, where supported by relevant security legislation, deploy the use of jammers in relation to, amongst others, State security functions,” Icasa added on Friday.

Shortly before Zuma addressed the joint sitting of Parliament, the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), objected to the use of the devices in Parliament.

The signal was restored after a short and bitter debate with the Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete, who is a high-ranking member of the ruling ANC.

There are unconfirmed claims that the jamming was the work of the intelligence services which wanted to cut the members link with the outside world. “The Authority (Icasa) welcomes the Speaker’s pronouncement that Parliament will investigate this matter. The Authority will liaise with Parliament on the outcome of the investigation. Should it deem it necessary, the Authority may also institute its own investigation into the matter,” Icasa told Fin24Tech.