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Vodacom cooperating with CompCom's investigation

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 30 Nov 2018
Mickey Mashale, chief sales officer for Vodacom Business.
Mickey Mashale, chief sales officer for Vodacom Business.

Vodacom says it is fully cooperating with the Competition Commission's (CompCom's) investigation into government's award of the RT15-2016 tender contract to the telco.

The JSE-listed company revealed this at media briefing in Rosebank on Friday. Vodacom organised the gathering to provide an update on the progress it has achieved in regards to the mobile communication solutions contract with National Treasury.

In March 2016, National Treasury issued a tender for the supply and delivery of mobile communication services to national and provincial government departments for the period of 15 September 2016 to 31 August 2020.

The contract was made public in September 2016, when former chief officer of Vodacom's enterprise business unit, Vuyani Jarana, confirmed that Vodacom had secured the contract for a period of four years.

Last October, the CompCom announced it had launched an abuse of dominance investigation into Vodacom.

Speaking on behalf of Vodacom, Mickey Mashale, chief sales officer for Vodacom Business, reiterated that the telco is fully cooperating and participating into all information requests that the CompCom has had.

"We are hoping that they will conclude the investigation very soon. But, from our side we are very much clear about the fact that it was a National Treasury open tender run above board but we will leave that to the Competition Commission to present their findings when they conclude their investigation.

"In the meantime, we are continuing with the job at hand; which is to digitise government to enable and effective service delivery."

Through the contract, Mashale points out; Vodacom has been able to help government lower expenditure. According to her, the partnership has already helped government save around 56% in expenditure from all participating government departments over a two-year period.

On digitising government, the chief sales officer says the company has managed to connect remote community health workers to patients and have helped identify 160 000 potential health risks across four provinces.

Furthermore, Vodacom Business says it partnered with the property management organisation of government to help digitise the way they run and operate building operations, turning the building into smart buildings enabling them to save on power, do proactive maintenance and thus increase the efficiency and life span of assets.

"Vodacom is using technology to bring about administrative efficiency and enhance communication between government and citizens in an effort to support service delivery. Through the RT15 contract, we are not only helping government on cost savings, but essentially help bring government closer to the people and provide an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability in the process."

To help tackle skills development and job creation within communities, Mashale adds: "We will be rolling out tech zones that will operate as mini Vodacom-shops in previously disadvantaged communities and these will help create some form of job opportunities for our people."

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