#DataMustFall: R2K GP to picket outside MTN on Black Wednesday

To mark Black Wednesday, R2K Gauteng will be picketing outside MTN offices tomorrow at 10AM.

Black Wednesday is a time for us to reflect on the challenges we face in defending and deepening freedom of expression, which includes media freedom and also the right to receive and impart ideas.

As South Africa’s constitutional court has said “the right cognises an elemental truth that it is human to communicate”. Yet far too many South Africans are deprived of the basic right to communicate because of the ruthless profiteering of the big telecoms companies. High data and airtime prices place the right out of the reach of the country’s poor. And MTN is one of the worst offenders when it comes to ripping off mobile users.

South Africa has some of the highest data/airtime costs in the world. It is outrageous that in a country where so many struggle to put bread on the table, the telecoms companies are given free rein to rip us off.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event.

PICKET DETAILS:
Date: 19 October 2016
Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Venue: MTN Head Office, 216 Fairlands Roodepoort, Kempton Park

For further comment contact:

Micah Reddy: 083 297 3444
Ntombi Tshabalala 078 594 8962
Busi Mtabane – 083 329 7844