eBotswana wants over R8 million from Sentech in damages for failing to encrypt its broadcasting signal in the rest of Southern Africa.

eBotswana, a sister company of the South Africa's broadcaster e.tv, wants more than R8 million in damages from South Africa's signal distributor Sentech for the failure to encrypt e.tv's signal outside the borders of South Africa.

Viewers elsewhere in Africa are using decoders to view the e.tv signal as well as the SABC's channels which they are not legally permitted to do.

 In February Sentech was found guilty in the case before the South Gauteng High Court.

South Africa's parastatal signal distributor was ordered to immediately take all steps necessary to stop piracy viewing of SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 outside of South Africa (which is taking place in several countries but specifically inside Botswana).

The high court ruled that Sentech is ''liable in delict for its failure to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent pirate viewing in Botswana of SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3'' which the ruling said is ''wrongful, negligent and in breach'' of what Sentech is supposed to be doing.

The South Gauteng High Court in its judgement gave Sentech 3 months - in effect until the end of May - to cut off SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and e.tv's signals to Botswana and the rest of Southern Africa through enacting encryption.