Giant soccer clubs Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, together with the biggest church in the country, the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), have merged to form a cellular network distribution called ZOK.
ZOK, derived from the first letters of Zion, Orlando and Kaizer, was officially announced at a media briefing in Midrand on Monday.
The three well-established brand names said their marriage was carefully chosen for its simplicity, good ring and prominence and will terminate in 2011.
”The ZCC, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs members and supporters will in buying airtime and accessories also be exercising their loyalty,” said Pirates boss Irvin Khoza.
”This new joint venture ushers in a new innovation in cellular [business] that will empower the people of this country,” he added.
Reverend Emmanuel Motola, who spoke on behalf of the ZCC, which boasts 20-million members countrywide, said the ZOK initiative has the blessing of His Grace Right reverend Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane.
”The bishop holds a firm belief that unless the majority of the working class in our country are provided with opportunities to participate in the economy, our country’s past will not be healed.
”The bishop was specifically referring to the fact that one of the main objectives of ZOK is to assist in the creation of new jobs,” said Motola. — Sapa