JSE-listed cellphone group Vodacom has come under fire from the Institute of Directors for not disclosing that it was paying former group CEO Alan Knott-Craig a monthly “restraint of trade” fee.
The institute’s CEO, Lindie Engelbrecht (pictured), says the group’s failure to inform shareholders of the payments may be a breach of corporate governance rules and [...]
Former Vodacom Group CEO Alan Knott-Craig has confirmed a Sunday Times report that he is being paid a monthly fee by the JSE-listed cellphone group, despite having retired in 2008. But he has denied the newspaper’s claim that he is earning R1m/month.
The Sunday Times front-page article says the contract between Knott-Craig and Vodacom was [...]
Former Vodacom Group CEO Alan Knott-Craig is “fully satisfied” that he has “done no wrong” and “acted properly at all times” during his tenure at the cellular group.
Knott-Craig was responding to allegations, published in a weekend newspaper, that he exploited Vodacom’s resources for the benefit of his family.
In a tersely worded statement issued to TechCentral [...]
Vodacom shareholders decided to take no action against former CEO Alan Knott-Craig following a forensic report into nepotism allegations, the cellphone group said on Sunday.
An “independent report” was commissioned by Vodacom’s then shareholders, Telkom and Vodafone, in 2008 to investigate accusations made by “several former employees”, company spokesman Richard Boorman says.
The Sunday Times reported at [...]
Wireless broadband operator iBurst is reducing its headcount by about 20% as part of a restructuring meant to cut costs and improve efficiencies.
TechCentral understands that about 60 or 70 employees are affected by the cuts, which are being done through a voluntary retrenchment process.
“We’ve been through this restructuring which means we need fewer people,” says [...]
SA’s telecommunications industry is in such a poor state precisely because of secret deals done in smoke-filled rooms. So it’s troubling that the same thing is happening with talks over the critical issue of mobile interconnection fees.
I became the news in a small way last week when I was asked to leave a closed-door meeting [...]
State-owned broadcast signal distributor Sentech has defended its continued ownership of a valuable chunk of radio frequency spectrum needed to provide telecommunications services. This is despite the company not using it and growing calls from private-sector operators for it to return the spectrum to its regulator.
The spectrum in question, in the 2,6GHz frequency band, is [...]
I know that this article is going shock you, but not in the way you expect, so buckle up. I have oversimplified the piece, but its essence is as true as you could wish for. The other day, I found a Telkom — in those days Posts & Telecommunications — internal “newspaper” called Postel, dated December 1982. The front page article — coincidentally written by myself at the time — described a 40% cut in international data communication tariffs based on X.75 packet-switching. Before the 40% cut, it cost, in today’s money, more than R10 000 to send 1MB of data. After the 40% cut, it cost only R6 000/MB — a bargain, with demand exceeding supply
There is a strong case for intervention by Icasa to reduce interconnection charges between mobile operators. Here’s what needs to happen for costs to come down, writes Patricia de Lille
I get really pissed off when there is good reason to change something but the status quo prevails because people who should know better spout nonsense about why there should be a change
