The inventor of ‘Please Call Me’ mobile service, Nkosana Makate, has noted Vodacom’s decision to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) judgement delivered on 6 February 2024.
The SCA had ordered Vodacom to pay its former employee, Makate, at least R29 billion for his ‘Please Call Me’ idea.
“Having considered the SCA judgment and order, it is Vodacom’s view that there are key aspects of this matter which do not accord with the spirit of the law and that the judgment and order are fundamentally flawed.
“It is apparent from the dissenting judgment of the SCA that the majority judgment overlooked or ignored many of the issues between the parties and their evidence and submissions relating to those issues,” Vodacom said in a statement.
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Reacting to Vodacom’s statement on Wednesday, Makate had this to say on his X page: “Very interesting that Vodacom files to the ConCourtSA and then issues a long media statement [to South Africa]. We shall quietly do our response as always. This drumming up of public support from Goliath is noted”.
The mobile network giant warned that the impact of the SCA Judgment, as it stands, “would be vast and wide-ranging on both Vodacom South Africa and Vodacom Group, as well as the attractiveness of South Africa as an investment destination”.
Vodacom added that the current court order and judgement would negatively impact its employees, shareholders and the company’s contribution to public finances, among other things.
