- Telkom blinds SA's eye in the sky
- Telkom: Salt progress soon
- Guardian article
- Mail and Guardian article
One would have thought, given the competitiveness of business, that Telkom would not wish such bad press on themselves. As I suspect though, they simply couldn't care! In effect, Telkom have responded to the stink these articles created by simply sticking to their guns and demanding over twice the original, signed, contract. They're wanting in excess of R20M for this link - the signed contract was for R10M.
It's estimated that to lay a new fibre, the cost would be approximately R40M, only ~40% more than Telkom are asking. How is this possible Telkom?
1) How do you explain this change in price,
2) the fact that this bad press seems to be ignored by you,
3) how any of us get to continue to do business by excluding Telkom?
Telkom have been embarrassed more than once. The Winston pigeon shows up Telkom for providing a less than broadband solution. They face a penalty for anti-competative behaviour, and yet, they continue to stifle innovation, science, education and the progress of research and business in South Africa. Where will it end?
I cannot tell you how frustrating this is. Apart from anything, Telkom hold the entire South Africa to ransom. As a colleague put it, this makes a mockery of their slogan 'Touching Tomorrow'. One is certainly left wondering whether we'll even be able to compete with other African countries as they speedily de-regulate their telecomms industries
Officials at Telkom this we 'just want the SALT problem to go away' and yet they've dug their heels in saying 'a mistake was made in the tender process'. From what I understand, this is not the only place they're reneg-ing on their deals. So, how does one hold them to their contractual agreements? That a mistake was made is either:
- Incompetence in drawing up the response to the tender or
- they're simply lying.
This morning's Business Report headlines with an article "This decade is marked by march of mediocrity", and oh how we're seeing that in South Africa! Without getting side-tracked into why we've ended up in mediocrity, I do feel depressed about being held to ransom by Telkom; or perhaps now it's more important than ever to stand up and be counted because the 'better life for all' is slipping through our fingers - all because of a lack of decisive leadership.
