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| Call-back
is not illegal . . . Read about the current status of call-back as well as a letter received from the South African Call-Back Association's attorneys. Both of which clarify the situation with regards to call-back in South Africa. |
Welcome to SACBA's news page
We are collecting all items of news applicable to the call-back industry, in particular articles pertaining to the current legality issue in South Africa . . .
South African Phone Monopoly Battles Government and Customers
27/12/97Monopoly and government control have long been the way of doing business in South Africa, and for years, the national phone company was perhaps the worst offender. The hallmarks of the company, Telkom SA, were high prices, slow service, an aloof bureaucracy, a bloated work force and a network engineered for white neighbourhoods.
Suddenly, everything is changing. In the eyes of some South Africans, it's a miracle: the company is now being run by Americans, people famous for technical skill. In the eyes of others, it's a disaster: the company is now being run by Americans, people famous for arrogance. [read the full story]
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marketing ban on call-back . . . ! ! ! All call-back companies, including any other companies marketing call re-origination, call-through etc..., whether members of SACBA or not, are reminded that there is a total marketing BAN of their services. This ban includes the press, television, radio, banners, billboards, trade show presence, public speaking or conference addressing, talking to the press, writing to the press etc . . . Basically the name of the game is to keep a very low and invisible profile. Even though we consider ourselves to be legal, the authorities have other ideas and any publicity will render us all to possible prosecution, fines and inprisonment. In addition, members of SACBA will also be penalised with a fine not exceeding R 10,000.00 Transgressions of this ban will severely affect our pending High Court against the authorities, which is due to be heard in the first half of 1998. |
Telkom pulling in those US dollars
Telkom and its partners are profiting handsomely from a dramatic increase in telephone traffic to SA originating in the US, receiving $0,50 of every dollar billed by US carriers for SA-bound calls over their networks, figures released this week by the US Federal Communications Commission show.
US long-distance companies like AT&T, MCI and Worldcom carried 97,4-million minutes of calls to SA last year, generating revenue of $65,4m. Of that, $52,9m was paid to Telkom for completing the calls inside SA. [read the full story]
Telkom's rate decrease (increase!) . . .
Telkom's much advertised average rate reduction of 11.50% in 1997 is actually a rebalancing of tariffs with an average increase in rates. See the comparison of Telkom's tariffs for more details.
The 1st October 20% decrease in the rate to the United Kingdom is actually for calls made after hours - during the working day the decrease is only 13% on the 1997 rate !!!
The same issue . . .
Neither the Internet nor callback services have been found to be illegal. It is clearly in the interest of the underprivileged to pay up to 60% less for calls than they are being charged by Telkom.
Telkom is trying to criminalise US carriers, who are offering inexpensive calls. The underprivileged and the public deserve a fair deal. Telkom is playing a manipulative game with the underprivileged manipulating them instead of providing the most cost-effective roll-out of lines. [read more]
Concern over action against
call-back groups
WASHINGTON - The US Federal Communications Commission had "serious concerns" over the manner in which the SA Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Satra) was seeking to ban callback operators from offering cheap international telephone rates to SA consumers, Rod Porter, assistant chief of the commission's international bureau, said yesterday. [read more]
Telkom in call-back tangle |
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A leading South African
corporation, believed to be one of several, said yesterday it had
been approached by Telkom to use an international call-back service
operated by the state-controlled phone monopoly. However, Telkom denied it was considering entering the call-back market, where it is engaged in a fight to close down local call-back operators. "There in no truth in the rumour that Telkom is planning to offer call-back servives," Telkom said. |
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| SA
Call-Back Association seeking legal restraint against attacks by
SATRA The SA Call-Back Association is to seek legal restraint against SATRA following the lastest potentially damaging attack against the Call-Back Association. To date no competent authority has ruled on the legality of call-back in South Africa. [read more] |
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in South Africa
The South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) has confirmed that the status of call-back remains the same as it was before their recent ruling, following the withdrawal of their proposed 1st September ban on call-back operations in South Africa.
No one, neither operator nor customer, will be prosecuted, nor can they be in terms of the statements made by SATRA subsequent to their first ruling on the status of call-back. [read more]
Choked by telecoms law?
Industry worries that its watchdog is restricted by Jay Naidoo's political leash.
Stung by fierce industry and media criticism that it has become a government lapdog, SA's fledgling telecoms industry regulator, Satra, is making a robust effort to rescue its public credibility. Just two weeks ago Satra came to the rescue of the State-controlled telephone monopoly, Telkom, by ruling that international callback services, popular with large businesses and which sharply undercut Telkom's international call rates, were illegal. [read more]
The fight for Free Speech continues . . .
SACBA effectively won against SATRA's ban on call-back operations in South Africa, but the fight has only just begun - We have now asked the High Court to rule on whether call-back is legal or not. Our petition entitled "I support free speech in South Africa" continues
We thank you for supporting our cause...
| It's
business as usual SACBA's urgent application to the High Court was postponed. The 1st September is no longer a deadline for anything. Call-back users can continue to use the service without having to worry about prosecution by SATRA. [read more] |
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| Call-Back
companies begin court battle to quash ban South African call-back companies have fired the first salvo in their legal battle to quash a ban served on the provision of call-back by the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) earlier this month. Yesterday (August 25th) legal papers were served on SATRA by the recently formed South African Call-Back Association and 10 local call-back companies.[read more] |
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Shock and outrage . . .
The South African Call-Back Association ("SACBA") was formed approximately a fortnight ago and represents all major participants in the South African Call-Back Industry. SACBA currently represents sixteen participants in the call-back industry at the date of press who collectively employ approximately five hundred people, with estimated thousands of other people who are directly or indirectly involved and dependent on the existence of the call-back industry in South Africa.
SACBA expresses its shock, outrage and disbelief at the ruling by the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority ("SATRA") on Tuesday, 12 August 1997, in which SATRA declared call-back services and other ancillary services to be illegal and in contravention of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. [read more]
SATRA bans call-back operations
In its first major ruling since becoming operational in February 1997, the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA), has pronounced that call-back operations in South Africa are unlawful. SATRA intends enforcing the law as from 1 September 1997. [read more]
Minister Naidoo is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Call-back users are up in arms. Foreign banks have asked Trade & Industry Minister Alec Erwin to intervene, saying that the SATRA ruling will have a negative effect on foreign investment. In any event, Satra may find it hard to enforce its ban on callback services for long. Financial Mail Opinion 22/8/97
South African Call-Back Association is formed
On the 25th July 1997, the 7 leading call-back companies, 3 of which have been trading in South Africa since 1992/93, agreed to form an association in order to look after the interests of the industry and its clients. In order to be part of the association, each SACBA member must adhere to a strict code of conduct and follow a set of minimum standards.
