Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      ‘System offline’ scourge to end, says Schreiber – but industry must pay

      23 June 2025

      Why the spectrum gold rush may soon be over

      23 June 2025

      Tech stability key to getting South Africa off damaging financial grey list

      23 June 2025

      Naspers shifts to an AI-first strategy – and it’s paying off

      23 June 2025

      Letter: South Africa risks missing AI wave while world surges ahead

      23 June 2025
    • World

      Watch | Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

      19 June 2025

      Trump Mobile dials into politics, profit and patriarchy

      17 June 2025

      Samsung plots health data hub to link users and doctors in real time

      17 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

      13 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E3: Behind Takealot’s revenue surge

      23 June 2025

      TCS | South Africa’s Sociable wants to make social media social again

      23 June 2025

      TCS+ | AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

      18 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025
    • Opinion

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » MTN hasn’t asked us for help yet: Cwele

    MTN hasn’t asked us for help yet: Cwele

    By Agency Staff4 December 2015
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    Telecoms minister Siyabonga Cwele
    Telecoms minister Siyabonga Cwele

    MTN hasn’t yet asked South Africa’s department of telecommunications & postal services for help regarding its multibillion-dollar fine in Nigeria.

    This is according to telecoms minister Siyabonga Cwele, who was speaking on the sidelines of a Telkom roundtable discussion in Sandton on Thursday.

    MTN announced on 26 October that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had fined it US$5,2bn for failing to disconnect 5,1m unregistered Sim cards in that country in a timely manner. MTN is Nigeria’s biggest mobile network with more than 60m subscribers in that country.

    However, in a market update to shareholders on Thursday, MTN said that the NCC had agreed to cut the fine to $3,4bn and that this penalty needed to be paid by 31 December 2015. But in a twist on Friday, MTN said the NCC had issued the company a second letter in which the regulator said the fine had actually been reduced to $3,9bn and not $3,4bn.

    In the wake of the announcement of the fine by MTN in October, City Press also reported in November that government may have known about the fine before it was made public. MTN, though, told the newspaper that it was unaware of any interventions by government.

    “We meet them (MTN) now and again, but they’ve not indicated yet that they need our assistance,” Cwele said on Thursday.

    “Until MTN comes to ask us that they need our formal assistance, then we’ll be working with our foreign affairs; we’ll be working with our trade & industry. But we put an offer to them and they’ve not come back to us to say they need that formal intervention by us,” Cwele said.

    Meanwhile, Cwele has given some insight into how government at first responded to the announcement of the fine against MTN in October.

    “I immediately contacted MTN, trying to find out what is happening and how best can we help, if any,” Cwele said. “We were then advised that they were engaging these authorities.”

    Cwele added that he was “happy” that regulators had reduced MTN’s fine in Nigeria, although he still described the penalty as being “huge”.

    The minister also explained that government has had “informal” engagements with Nigeria over the fine.

    “I think as much as the Nigerians are saying there was non-compliance with their laws, they are also concerned about the impact on investment. This has been our informal engagement: just make sure that whatever you do doesn’t have a negative impact on investment,” Cwele said.

    “And we fully understand their sovereignty in terms of applying their laws … whether it is in Uganda or other countries,” Cwele added.

    The minister’s comments about MTN come as a report in the Sunday Times said that the presidents of Africa’s two biggest economies, Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma, are expected to meet in Johannesburg this week to discuss the fine.

    African leaders are in South Africa for the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation, which is taking place on 4 and 5 December.  — Fin24



    Jacob Zuma MTN MTN Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari NCC Nigerian Communications Commission Siyabonga Cwele
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleNigeria tells MTN: give us R7,7bn more
    Next Article Naspers seeks R36bn for acquisitions

    Related Posts

    Listed: All the MVNOs in South Africa – 2025 edition

    19 June 2025

    MTN CEO edges Vodacom rival in pay stakes – but just barely

    18 June 2025

    TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

    16 June 2025
    Company News

    IoT connectivity management in South Africa – expert insights

    23 June 2025

    Let’s reimagine Joburg using the power of tech, data and AI

    23 June 2025

    Netstar doubles down on global markets while backing SA growth

    23 June 2025
    Opinion

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    AI and the future of ICT distribution

    16 June 2025

    Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

    13 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.