Author: Gugu Lourie
Vodacom can keep its operating license in Lesotho after the mobile phone company won a court challenge on Saturday against Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) from revoking the company’s unified license. The Vodafone-owned company challenged LCA not to revoke the license and enforce the payment of the fine of M134 million. The company said on Saturday that the Lesotho High Court had ordered that the LCA must appear on 23 October to show cause why the interim order should not be made final. “We assure citizens of Lesotho that we remain fully focussed on delivering great value and a superior customer…
Embattled Cell C faces more trouble on Monday when its workers go on strike over imminent retrenchments. The Information Communications and Technology Union (ICTU) announced at the weekend that its members would down tools after the cellphone company insisted the retrenchment process involving thousands of workers could not be reversed. In a letter on Friday, the union said: “ICTU hereby notifies Cell C that its members will be embarking on industrial action from 12 October 2020 at 08:00 at all Cell C buildings and shops in protest against the retrenchments of more than 1,600 employees you are intending to undertake”.…
MTN announced on Friday afternoon the appointment of a new CEO for MTN Liberia Lonestar Cell. Rahul De, the current chief marketing officer of MTN Nigeria, will take the helm at the company. His appointment is effective on November 1, 2020. De replaces Uche Ofodile who departed Lonestar Cell MTN in July to become the CEO of MTN Benin. With 23 years of experience in the telco space, ranging across multiple geographies, Rahul has spent the last two decades in senior leadership roles driving growth and leading business transformation. “I would like to congratulate Rahul on his appointment,” said MTN…
Insiders have revealed that Vodacom South Africa has installed an indoor RF site (Antenna) at the headquarters of cash-strapped Cell C in Sandton. TechFinancials has been told by the insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that both Vodacom and Cell C were busy testing this indoor RF site. The insiders say the installation of the antenna is part of a process to test the site and ensure a seamless move of Cell C’s prepaid subscribers to the Vodacom network. They say once the move is completed cellphones belonging to Cell C customers will reflect Vodacom as their network provider.…
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has joined efforts to save thousands of jobs at Cell C. The Information Communications and Technology Union (ICTU) and African Democratic Change (ADEC) party have been in a public fight with Cell C over its plans to retrench 1,500 workers. Saftu deputy general secretary, Moleko J Phakedi, said in the letter to Cell C: “We herewith wish to propose an urgent meeting with you either on Friday 10th or Monday 12th October at 11:00 at your Woodmead office.” ICTU is an affiliate of Saftu, which is led by union firebrand Zwelinzima Vavi.…
The African Democratic Change (ADEC) party has demanded that Cell C shuts its stores today. The demand follows the breakdown of talks between management at Cell C and representatives of thousands of workers, who are facing retrenchment. Cell C earlier announced plans to retrench 1,500 workers. The embattled cellphone company also said it intends to close down 150 stores. ADEC says it wrote to the CEO of Cell C Douglas Craigie Stevenson and requested a meeting to discuss proposals to save jobs. The political party said it never received any response from the company. Spurned, members of ADEC and the Information Communications and…
Vodacom and Lesotho government are to lock horns over the mobile operator’s operating licence, which has been revoked by small Southern Africa’s landlocked country. The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) has revoked the unified license. The authority has imposed a staggering fine of M134 million for Vodacom’s alleged contravention of section 97 of the Companies Act 2011 and certain conditions of its unified license. Vodacom said in a statement that it would lodge an urgent application in the High Court in Lesotho to have it reviewed and set aside the decisions of the Lesotho Communications Authority. “We have no option but…
Liquid Telecom is embarking on another retrenchment exercise two months after the largest fibre company in Africa announced it was undergoing a “strategic repositioning”. The strategic repositioning has already resulted in the retrenchment of 100 workers in August. Although the fibre company is delivering a good set of financial results, it still plans to retrench more workers. In the year ended 29 February 2020, Liquid Telecom reported revenue growth of 17.5% to $795.7 million (R13.2 billion), while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 15.7%. “The company is of the preliminary view that it is not competitive in…
JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms is to seek an urgent court interdict to stop members of the Information Communication and Technology Union (ICTU) from protesting outside its headquarters in Sandton. This is according to a notice of motion and founding affidavit seen by TechFinancials. Since Tuesday this week, the union has been protesting against retrenchments, parallel restructuring, and recapitalisation by Cell C. For more read: UNION THREATENS TOTAL SHUT DOWN OF CELL C OVER PROPOSED JOB CUTS ICTU is an affiliate of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), which is led by Zwelinzima Vavi. The union represents about 1,300…
The new BMW 128ti is positioned between the BMW 120i and the range-topping BMW M135i xDrive. With its specially tuned M Sport suspension and Torsen limited-slip differential, the new BMW 128ti sets its sights on the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The BMW 128ti will be made available to the South African market in the first quarter of 2021. The BMW 128ti carries over firmer anti-roll bars and anti-roll bar mounts with high preloads from the BMW M135i xDrive. Stiffer springs and shock absorbers adapted accordingly to provide excellent driving dynamics. In addition, the front-wheel-drive 128ti is around 80 kilograms lighter than the…