(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 14 September 2005 FXI press release: FXI condemns Telkom’s harassment of Communications Rights Campaign picketers The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) condemns the fact that, for the second time, South Africa’s fixed line telecommunications operator Telkom has called the police to break up a picket held by the Communications […]
(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 14 September 2005 FXI press release:
FXI condemns Telkom’s harassment of Communications Rights Campaign picketers
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) condemns the fact that, for the second time, South Africa’s fixed line telecommunications operator Telkom has called the police to break up a picket held by the Communications Rights Campaign, an initiative of the Institute’s Media and ICT’s Programme. The picket was held on Monday 12 September outside Telkom’s head office, Telkom Towers, in Pretoria. Telkom’s attempt to stop the picket by calling on the police to intervene was unjust, as the ten protesters were strictly following the Regulation of Gatherings Act.
This incident follows an incident on August 11 2005, where Telkom called in the police to break up another picket held by the campaign. On that date, the police briefly arrested the eight picketers protesting outside the Telkom offices. It should also be noted that the FXI also organised a march in October 2004, and Telkom has still not bothered to address issues that were raised within the memorandum that was handed to them during the march.
Telkom’s actions make clear that the company does not understand the Regulation of Gatherings Act. In a comment in the Mail & Guardian online newspaper, Lulu Letlape, Telkom’s corporate communicator, referred to the picket as ‘an illegal gathering’. However, according to the Regulation of Gatherings Act, a gathering should involve more than fifteen people before it can be considered illegal. FXI brought only ten people to the Telkom towers to protest and therefore the Institute acted within the law. Therefore the FXI offers to workshop Telkom management in the contents of
the Act, as clearly the company does not understand its provisions.
FXI held the picket on Monday to express its anger at Telkom for ignoring the invitation to a People’s Forum on Communication Rights on Saturday 10 September. Telkom was invited participate in the forum, which addressed the excessively high telecommunications tariffs and the poor roll out of telephone lines in rural and poor communities. Approximately 400 people from poor communities from the Free State, Gauteng and the Northern Province attended. By calling the police to disperse the small group of peaceful protesters, Telkom clearly signals that it wants to stop the FXI from communicating its anger at the telecommunication giant, in the process interfering with the right to freedom of expression of communities aggrieved by high tariffs.
