South Africa's EFF joins campaign calling for lower internet cost

South Africa’s opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has thrown its weight behind a campaign aimed at forcing telecom service providers to lower their rates and also to improve service delivery.

The #DataMustFall campaign was initiated by a radio personality, TBo Touch, with the aim of holding mobile telephone operators accountable on the high cost of data in South Africa.

‘‘We support this call not only because it is an important campaign, but also because our movement, in its resolutions at the 2014 National People’s Assembly held in Mangaung, resolved that the high cost of communications in South Africa is impeding on the economic emancipation of our people,’‘ the EFF said in a statement.

#DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #DataMustFall #EFF

— EFF Official Account (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 15, 2016

We support the #DataMustFall campaign because telecommunications is a basic right like education and health. It impacts on development

— EFF Official Account (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 15, 2016

According to the party, service providers were with impunity, ‘‘robbing South Africans in broad daylight at the expense of much needed information dissemination and development in general.’‘

They made comparative references to how South African service providers – MTN and Vodacom – were charging less on data for their consumers in Nigeria and Kenya.

South African companies MTN and VodaCom are selling cheaper data in other countries, and more expensive in their home country #DataMustFall

— EFF Official Account (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 15, 2016

Mobile operators are bloodsucking South Africans with impunity. They've been told to lower tariffs and have not done so #DataMustFall

— EFF Official Account (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 15, 2016

‘‘These companies clearly do not have the interests of South Africans at heart, especially the poor masses who could benefit greatly from dissemination of information in health, education and economic matters,’‘ they charged.

The called on the sector regulator and the Department of Telecommunications to reign in service providers to lower their tariffs with immediate effect.

‘‘We warn the mobile operators to meet the 30 days deadline set by the #DataMustFall campaign or face the might of our people,’‘ the concluded.