Vodacom has shut down its headquarters and Vodacom World mall ahead of protest action around the Please Call Me debacle.<\/p>\n
The Please Call Me Movement, headed by Modise Setoaba, has organised protest action at Vodacom’s head office for today, demanding that a settlement with Kenneth Makate be reached.<\/p>\n
The movement, which claims to be against corporate bullying and consumer injustice, said Vodacom owes Makate R70 billion for his Please Call Me idea.<\/p>\n
Setoaba said in an SABC interview that he does not know how much Makate was offered by Vodacom, but argued that he did not need to know the amount to know it was not fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two parties here [Vodacom and Makate] and one is aggrieved. I am on the side of the aggrieved party,\u201d said Setoaba.<\/p>\n
Many high-profile politicians have thrown their weight behind Makate\u2019s plight, too, including Communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.<\/p>\n
Despite legal threats from Vodacom, Lesufi continued his participation in the matter and threatened Vodacom with widespread action if they do not pay Makate.<\/p>\n
Lesufi said he was talking to the finance minister about the government\u2019s contracts with Vodacom, as well as international institutions.<\/p>\n
Other organisations promoting the Vodacom shutdown included the ANC Liliesleaf Farm Branch and Black First Land First.<\/p>\n