Daylight robbery
Thieving networks
By Stephan Stringer
On 25 February 2014, the second-year Journalism students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) hosted a live tweeting conference where National Co-ordinator for the Right2Know Campaign Murray Hunter was a guest speaker. Hunter gave a concise analysis of what the Right2Know is all about and what they hope to achieve.
Among topics such as the controversial Secrecy Bill and National Key Points Act, he discussed the growing trend of citizens wanting to know more about their world and how they access news. He gave special reference to the cost of telecommunications in South Africa and how multi-billionaire industry giants have been exploiting their positions at the expense of the poor.
This topic sparked quite a bit of curiosity as Hunter explained that his organisation has found, through researching the ‘Measuring Information Society 2012’ study by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), that South Africa has the sixth-highest mobile phone charges in the world. Sixth-highest? That sounds a bit dramatic, considering that South Africa is what many dependency theorists and analysts would call a ‘developing’ or ‘peripheral’ country. So are we really paying that much?
I delved a bit deeper into the validity of these claims. I then consulted the Measuring Information Society study and found that in fact the study referred to South Africa as being ranked 91 out of 155 countries, and not 77th out of 82, as claimed by the Right2Know campaign. In fact, according to the study, we’re an entire 58 ranks ‘cheaper’ than other countries when compared to the shocking figure that the Right2Know campaign posted. This raise quite a few questions with regards to the validity of the Right2Know and whether all their past claims bore any authenticity. It also questions the trust relationship that we as consumers have with our mobile operators. Are they ripping us off?
I investigated even deeper and came across an interesting piece of work by Pioneering Researchers of Information and Communication Technologies, Alison Gillwald, Mpho Moyo and Christoph Stork called Understanding what is happening in South Africa. Herein the aforementioned individuals placed the South African telecommunications industry under quite harsh scrutiny. They gave a comprehensive report by questioning the ‘health’ of telecommunications in South Africa and how it has been affecting not only social and economic issues, but problems that have been crippling the poor in terms of information and their right to access it.
The report gave me a vivid picture of how badly the telecommunications industry has been serving those who have the right to access information but cannot do so because of multi-billionaire industry giants monopolising and capitalising on the poor. An example of this, within the report, is that ‘the cheapest mobile prepaid product in South Africa is still nearly 7.5 times more expensive than the African continent’s cheapest similar product and still three times more expensive than the cheapest product’. This is irrespective of the report stating that ‘individual mobile phone ownership stands at 86% of the adult population’, largely due to over 42% of respondents stating that fixed lines are not available where they live and 51% stating that they cannot afford one.
So what does all of this actually mean? Simply put: we are getting ripped off. The cost of telecommunication in South Africa has become so high that it’s impossible for the ‘Average Joe’ to actively empower himself through the use of his cellular device - because it’s just too expensive. Essentially the enrichment of a society occurs through partaking in controversial discussion, heated debates and being informed on how the world perceives you and how you’d position yourself in society. Unfortunately, this is not possible if one cannot fully utilise resources that are literally at the ends of your fingertips.
This brings me back to the Right2Know campaign and whether their demands for free basic mobile telecommunications in South Africa could actually be not only admirable but could potentially be viable as well. According to the aforementioned statistics, they’ve got quite a good shot at proving that the majority of South African ‘adults’ own cellular devices and that, according to Section 161b of our Bill of Rights, that the right to communicate is a basic right. They could even go as far as saying that, because of the statistics shown above, this would be the most viable manner in which to achieve a ‘channel’ in which all can then use this right to freedom of expression to receive or impart information and ideas. What they’ve got there is a quite a daunting and philosophical task, but is it one that can be used viably and practically?
Now I could go on and on about how expensive it is to access information digitally in South Africa. I can even give you a detailed summary of exactly how much money the economy is losing on a daily rate due to regulators and multi-billionaire mobile operator giants profiting from the half of the 50 million living below the poverty line. But you already know that, don’t you?
What I can offer you, in conclusion, is the platform to give you a chance to ‘soak in’ what I’ve said. I’m not here as a Right2Know representative or a mobile operator nut case… no, I’m here to give you a clear and concise indication of essentially how you’re getting ripped off. Whether that statement is true or not is up to you to decide.
Make the informed and objective decision.
