Zintatu Communication Power has been disqualified from the race for the third cellular license.
The South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) has announced that the "irregular" last minute bid from Zintatu will not be considered along with the eight complete bids received on Monday. "Zintatu has been disqualified on account of being non-responsive to the ITA [Invitation to Apply]," says SATRA chairman Nape Maepa.
The invitation stipulated that full applications had to be handed in by noon on Monday, 14 June. Full applications, containing 25 copies of the bidding documents as well as a CD-ROM copy was received from eight applicants, which had also deposited the required R75 000 fee. Zintatu managed to submit only one copy of its document shortly before the deadline closed and had not deposited any money.
Maepa acknowledged receipt of the document because, he said, the Constitution requires transparency.
The other eight bidders still in the race are the Telenor/Telia Consortium, Nextcom Cellular, Afrozone Telecoms, Five Mobile Networks, AfricaSpeaks, Spatial Cellular, Cell C and Kalhuma 084.
Maepa has been unwilling to commit to the date when the license will be granted, saying only that "the question may be answered towards the end of July" due to the large number of applicants.
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