The civil rights organisation AfriForum on 8 March held a meeting with the management of Telkom and the service provider Openserve – which is responsible for the erection and maintenance of Telkom’s infrastructure. This meeting was requested after Telkom cut off landlines in the rural areas of the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape without making available any alternative options.
During the meeting, Grant Evert, Senior Manager of Openserve, and Yvonne Lombaard, Senior Manager of Telkom, made the undertaking that no landline services to rural areas will be cut off anymore unless alternative technology is made available for affected areas.
Telkom furthermore made the undertaking that a list containing the names of the affected areas will be made available to AfriForum, as well as that additional regional meetings with communities are being planned in order to obtain the public’s inputs regarding this issue. AfriForum will be informed of the mentioned regional meetings.
Alternative options to landline services in rural areas are essential due to continuous cable theft, as well as obsolete technology that can no longer be maintained.
Residents of the Cape provinces are encouraged to become involved at their nearest AfriForum branch: SMS your name to 32532 (R1).