This archive report was first published on 11 May 2021.
On May 9, 2021, Nkosana Makate, the inventor of the 'Please Call Me' service, expressed his relief that the Judicial Review of the matter had finally concluded, stating, 'I will stand back now, it was a gruelling effort just to get to Judicial Review of the Vodacom CEO. All is in the hands of our Judiciary & my job is done.'
Nkosana Makate, a 44-year-old former Junior Accountant at Vodacom in South Africa, proposed the idea of the 'Please Call Me' service, which allows a user to send a free text informing someone else to call them, to his employer in the early 2000s.
After launching the service in 2001, Makate entered a verbal agreement with his bosses at the time, which was never acceded to, to receive a significant reward if the service proved viable.
However, when Makate sought R500 million in 2007 to settle the case, he was rebuffed, leading him to launch a serious legal battle.
After securing an important ruling in 2014, where the South Gauteng High Court supported his claim to having originated 'Please Call Me', Makate appealed the case and later took it to the Constitutional Court.
It was here that he got his big win, with Justice Chris Jafta stating in 2017 that Vodacom was bound by an agreement with Makate and must negotiate in good faith to pay him reasonable compensation.
Despite Vodacom's offer of R47 million, which Makate rejected, he has maintained his demand for R10 billion (Ksh75 Billion), accusing corporations of exploiting and misusing their workers.
Friday, May 7 was the last day of the Judicial Review of the matter, and Presiding Gauteng High Court Judge Wendy Hughes is expected to soon hand down her verdict.
