Give us free airtime, data, SMS: Right2Know

WesleyR said:
- Everyone should get a free basic amount of airtime and data the same way that we have free basic water and electricity : Since when?? I have to pay for my water and electricity...
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If you earn below a certain income threshhold you qualify for free basic water and electricity.
You only get a few units of each free every month though. It's just a very basic amount. It allows you to boil water, have a light or two, perhaps a small TV or radio and an iron. This basic electricity and water subsistence massively reduces shack fires (from gas and paraffin stoves and lamps and from candles being knocked over during winter) and also increases basic health conditions (by giving access to clean water for drinking and cooking). It makes a massive difference to people who earn barely enough to survive on. I believe it is around R3000 per month total household income - it varies between municipalities. Anything used over the free allowance is paid for.

EDIT: More info available here: http://www.energy.gov.za/files/faqs/faqs_freebasic.html

PS: The only demand they made that I agree with is the one about data not expiring. Imagine you put petrol in your car, but whatever you haven't used by the end of the month simply evaporates.. The rest of their demands are ridiculous and reflect the "entitlement" mindset that our country now has. It's pathetic.
 
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Sodan said:
Lol, who are these clowns?!
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The R2K National Working Group, 2013/14

Vinayak Bhardwaj
Carina Conradie
Jane Duncan
Murray Hunter
Meshack Mbangula
Dale T. McKinley
Nosipho Mngoma
Thembani Onceya
Nomvula Sikakane
Alison Tilley
Hennie Van Vuuren
Ex officio (R2K staff): Mark Weinberg, Tinashe Njanji, Nkwame Cedile, Joanne Adams, Bongani Xezwi
 
surfs-up said:
There is only one point they made that I agree with - data bundles should not expire after 30 days.

The rest - wanting free calls and data is absolute, mindless lunacy. Who do they expect will pick up the tab for all their free stuff. It is like asking for a free monthly voucher that will allow them them to go to a bank and get free money !!! WTF

This demand mentality is one which will bring this country to it's knees. Look at the bad state the mining industry is already in, due to their demands and strike actions
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This country is already on it's knees, see the position we are in. We are being screwed politically and financially (outrageous banking fees, data prices, telco prices, monochoice, electric prices and soon to arrive toll fees). :mad:
 
Thats exactly why this country will take forever to flourish, what with the socialist mentality of purely being entitled to things because they are cANCer supporters.
 
Everyone should get a free basic amount of airtime and data the same way that we have free basic water and electricity;
All SMS’s should be free as they cost the operators almost nothing to transmit;
The range of numbers that are free to call (like police and ambulance) should be increased to include our children’s schools, hospitals, etc;
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There is no such thing as free.
 
Marcan said:
.. we have achieved a "Demandocracy". ...
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They should make a deal. Everyone gets free airtime, electricity, work, transport. In return, the top 20 companies take over as government. Oh, wait, that sounds a bit like communism. So it will not work? But that never stopped them anyway.
 
Typical New South African attitude as nurtured by the ANCommies. Nothing worth anything should be free. Many services should be charging cheaper fees as a matter of fairness, but how much you get free is up to your service provider for whatever marketing agenda they may have.

I am disgusted by this. What the hell does this have to do with state secrecy? How do you take these people serious after this?
 
Budza said:
They have that already- SASSA :sick:
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Sassa's grants are pretty reasonable. What's not reasonable is the sheer amount of people who are perfectly happy to live mostly of Sassa grants. Impossible financial burden for a country to prosper with - The amounts involved are just too much (over R100bn a year and SAs GDP is only about R400bn...). Impossible to responsibly manage - Just too many Sassa benefactors (about a third of South Africans receive social grants).

So yeah. Sassa like grants are important for any respectable country - It's meant to assist those that really can't help themselves. SAs people are the problem. Here a significant portion of the population would be happy if they had an acre or two of land to build a shack on, some free electricity, some free water, some free airtime and mobile data, subsidized TV and 6 little subsidized kiddies and/or a disability or old age grant.

Welcome to Moochtopia!
 
WesleryR said:
- Everyone should get a free basic amount of airtime and data the same way that we have free basic water and electricity : Since when?? I have to pay for my water and electricity...
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The first 50 or so units of electricity is free, under certain conditions.

The range of numbers that are free to call (like police and ambulance) should be increased to include our children’s schools, hospitals, etc;
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Free calls? Last three times I dialed 10111 from my phone I paid a hefty sum for it.
 
some of the issues that they plan to march on are relevant to pretty much everyone, so I say go for it
 
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