On Friday 17 May Friends of a Free Internet is protesting to demand the government end MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom profiteering and keep their promise to expand affordable internet access to everyone in South Africa.
The protest at ICASA offices takes place on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and will be addressed by various civil society leaders as well as CEO of ICASA, Tshiamo Maluleka-Disemelo. President Ramaohosa and the CEOs of the cell companies have not yet responded to invitations.
Media are invited to cover the protest:
DATE: Friday 17 May 2024
TIME; 10h00 – 12h00
VENUE: ICASA Offices, 350 Witch-Hazel Ave, Centurion
The protest that will also be live streamed at https://freeinternet.africa/telecoms-day-24/
Why are we protesting?
The digital divide is amplifying and deepening South Africa’s inequality as a few enjoy high-speed world-class fibre internet connections while the marginalised majority are either excluded from network access completely or remain condemned to the ghetto of slow and over-priced prepaid mobile connections.
It is over two years since the government gave R14.4 billion worth of our national airwaves to the cell phone companies. The companies committed to extend network coverage to 97% of the population, connecting over 32,000 public buildings (like schools and clinics) to high-speed broadband, and making all the mobile content on nonprofit and government websites free to visit.
No progress has been reported. Millions remain without affordable internet access. Data prices remain stubbornly high.
South Africa has a long history of missed connectivity targets and cell phone companies opting to pay fines rather than expand network access. The Stop Thief campaign will not allow the commitments made in 2022 to become just more broken promises.
We are tired of broken promises from politicians, empty assurances from ICASA, ongoing price gouging of the mobile companies. Without public engagement we can expect more of the same.
We call on everyone in South African to show their support for a free internet by joining the campaign via whatsapp, Emai,or Facebook.
The right to communicate (free expression, assembly, and information access) will remain mere privileges unless enjoyed by one and all. We request all journalists to amplify this call in the interests of expanding freedom of expression and access to information for all.
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For comment contact:
● Andrea Boesak, organiser@freeinternet.africa, +27 63 215 2713
● Mark Weinberg, mark@yetu.coop, +27 72 724 9601
● Tshiamo Malatji, malatji@protonmail.com +27 73 492 9339
About Friends of a Free Internet
Friends of a Free Internet (FoFI) is a civil society alliance launched in July 2022 to unite over 100 civil society organisations (see list) to advocate for free online expression and universal access to a user-owned, affordable, secure communication network. FoFI is convened by the Peoples Media Consortium and Yetu Infotech Collective. For more information visit www.freeinternet.africa.
