EFF tells Vodacom: Pay ‘Please Call Me’ inventor, or else
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has set a deadline for Vodacom to pay the inventor of the ‘Please Call Me’ service.
Supporters of the inventor, Nkosana Makate, are demanding that the cellular giant pay up - or they will trash the company’s stores.
“What we did to H&M, we can also do it here at Vodacom,” warned the EFF’s Fanie Sibeko.
A small group gathered at Vodacom’s headquarters in Midrand on Wednesday.
In 2016 the Constitutional Court found Makate to be the investor of the service after a prolonged legal battle, denying his invention but the court ruled that he should be paid reasonable compensation.
He is yet to receive his payout.
The EFF, supported by the Please Call Me-movement, are now demanding that the company pay Makate 15% of the revenue it made from the service.
“You must give what is due to him. It is a problem with an African child when you need to pay them,” said Sibeko.
Vodacom Managing Executive for External Relations, Themba Kinana, accepted their memorandum.
The company had previously instituted various attempts to prohibit Makate from disclosing information related to the deal.
A gag agreement has been reached.
[WATCH] “What we did to H&M, we can also do it here at Vodacom,” says the EFF.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) July 18, 2018
They are demanding that the 'Please Call Me' inventor be paid immediately. https://t.co/ZiuUMBSfIb pic.twitter.com/TYpB3Di5Od