by Thinus Ferreira

Pay-TV competition has turned nasty in Tanzania with MultiChoice alleging that rival, China’s StarTimes operating as Star Media Tanzania Ltd., bought up DStv decoders and DStv branded satellite dishes only to them destroy the DStv decoders to create unavailability in the market, and then using the DStv dishes to install their own StarTimes Tanzania services.

According to a statement from Hallmark Attorneys, working for MultiChoice Tanzania, people working for an on behalf of StarTimes Tanzania allegedly bought DStv decoders, DStv branded satellite dishes and DStv branded wiring to make MultiChoice’s DStv decoder and installation materials unavailable or scarce in the market for consumers.

Hallmark Attorneys allege that MultiChoice Tanzania then discovered that not only were bought DStv decoders never activated but that they were deliberately destroyed, and that DStv branded equipment from LNB wires and satellite dishes to connectors were then repurposed and used to install StarTimes Tanzania services in pay-TV homes.

“The company said to benefit from such illegal conduct is Star Media Tanzania Limited under the name StarTimes Tanzania,” Hallmark Attorneys says in the statement. “Various equipment acquired by the said individuals or through financing from the said individuals, for the said illegal purposes, have been seized.”

David Malisa, StarTimes Tanzania marketing director, in a statement said that “the subject is in the hands of our legal department. It is being worked out, therefore preventing us from giving detailed comments”. He said that StarTimes Tanzania would “later release a statement on the matter”.