MONDAY, 2.00PM
SOUTH Africa’s callback operators are going back to court to prevent the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Satra) from carrying out a renewed threat to shut down callback operations. The regulator had previously said that it will not initiate prosecutions against callback operators until the completion of a pending high court hearing on the legality of callback operations in South Africa. The SA Callback Association (Sacba) says it still believes that Satra lacks the authority to prosecute on this matter, and that no competent body has yet ruled on the legaility of callback operations in South Africa.
South African callback operations continue to offer South African telephone users international calls at US rates. The R18-million a year industry claims its services save its clients, including government departments, between 30% and 60% on international phone bills.
Phil Mahlangu, the chief executive of Satra, says that callback operations remain illegal, and says the regulator has no choice but to apply to the letter, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which states that callback operations are illegal in South Africa. Connie Molusi, a spokesperson for the telecommunications department, says it backs Satra all the way, but will leave Satra to deal with the matter.