Telkom has pulled the plug on Zimbabwe’s telecoms utility Tel*One for failing to honour a $18-million debt (about R501-million), Business Day reported on Friday.
It said the move had thrown Zimbabwe’s telecommunications into chaos.
Tel*One spokesperson Phil Chingwaru confirmed Telkom had disconnected Zimbabwe for non-payment.
”Currently, the company has had its connectivity to and through SA terminated as it has not honoured its debt to Telkom SA,” he said.
The development was being seen as further evidence of Zimbabwe’s foreign currency woes and the breakdown of services under President Robert Mugabe’s hardline rule.
Zimbabwe is on the verge of being booted out of the International Monetary Fund for non-payment of debts.
Tel*One incurred the Telkom debt after the South African utility helped to upgrade Zimbabwe’s fixed network between Musina and Harare a few years ago.
South Africa provided Zimbabwe with the latest terrestrial technology — synchronous digital hierarchy — which uses microwaves to make the system efficient.
The arrangement was that Tel*One, which was a net receiver of revenue from Telkom, would pay for the upgrade of its network by deducting its dues from the money going to Zimbabwe.
However, traffic from South Africa to Zimbabwe has dramatically dwindled, leaving Tel*One in a deficit with Telkom.
Sources said Telkom’s decision had thrown Zimbabwe’s telephone network into chaos.
While South African callers can still dial directly to Harare, calls from that country to South Africa now had to be re-routed to Canada, through a company called Tele-Globe.
The rerouting explained the poor quality of calls between Zimbabwe and South Africa, the sources said.
Telkom spokesperson Lulu Letlape declined to comment, except to say the parastatal did not discuss its clients with ”third parties”.
”Zimbabwe’s account [or that of any other customers] with Telkom is a private matter,” she said. – Sapa