ARBITRATION
Vodacom claimant Nkosana Makate still not paid out
The "Please Call Me" inventor has not been paid out anything for his SMS innovation by cellphone giant Vodacom despite a court ruling in his favour
"Please Call Me" inventor, Nkosana Makate, is yet to receive a penny from cellphone giant Vodacom.More than a year since the Constitutional Court ruled in his favour, Makate has not been paid anything for his SMS innovation, which he created when he was still employed by Vodacom more than 10 years ago.In 2015, Makate took Vodacom to court, saying that he had invented the popular "Please Call Me" SMS service that the company introduced in 2001.He demanded 15% of the proceeds of the service from Vodacom, including records of Vodacom’s UK-based parent company Vodaphone. This met heavy resistance.However, Justice Chris Jafta’s judgment in 2016 ordered Vodacom to start compensation negotiations with Makate within 30 days of the judgment and determine a reasonable payout.On Wednesday, Makate said he was "fine" with the progress made so far on the issue."It’s been a long battle that has taken its toll on me and my family. I’m a soldier and I will never give up," Makate said.In June 2016, S...
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