Cell C CEO Alan Knott-Craig is in the final stages of recovery and expects to be "back in the saddle soon".
This is according to Knott-Craig, who has been recovering from a mild stroke, which he suffered in mid-November.
Knott-Craig sent out a media statement this morning, the day before a two-day court battle takes place between Vodacom, MTN and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) over a topic he has been outspoken about since he took the helm at Cell C: mobile termination rates.
"I have not stopped believing in what I started when I joined Cell C, even while I have been recovering from the stroke I suffered late last year.
"It is my fervent hope that I return to an industry that looks very different from what it has for the last 20 years. I want to come back to an industry that reflects our 20 years of democracy. I want to come back to a competitive industry, an industry ready to provide services to everyone, at a good rate.
"I would like the next 10 years of the industry to be about honest, good value service, delivered in a way that consumers understand - a fair price for a good service."
Jose Dos Santos took over as acting CEO after Knott-Craig's November stroke, but said the company expected Knott-Craig back soon. He could not, however, say in what capacity he would return, as that would be his and shareholders' decision.
At the time, when asked about Cell C's succession plan, should Knott-Craig choose not to lead the firm when he returns, Dos Santos said the company had a strong management team, which would be able to step up and continue leading the operator.
"It's business as usual; we have a strong succession plan," he stated.
Before suffering a minor stroke on 18 November, Knott-Craig previously survived at least two heart attacks in the past. This was believed to be a significant motivating factor for the telecoms veteran to announce his early retirement as Vodacom CEO in June 2008.
MTR tussle
Vodacom and MTN are seeking an interim order to set aside the implementation of ICASA's new mobile termination rates (MTR), as well as a review application challenging the validity of the process followed by the regulator in determining them.
MTRs are the fees mobile operators pay each other to carry calls on their networks. ICASA's new regime - set to take effect on 1 April, but dependent on the outcome of the court case - will see Vodacom and MTN paying Cell C and Telkom Mobile considerably less in inter-network fees over a three-year period.
Referring to the day Vodacom and MTN launched their services in SA, 1 April 1994, Knott-Craig says: "I believe that 1 April 2014 could prove to be almost as significant as 1 April 1994 - both pivotal moments in the history of our industry and our country."
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