Bonang, Mandela family get their cellphone contracts downgraded by Vodacom

Vodacom has stopped issuing unlimited free airtime to several members of the Mandela family due to rising data costs.

According to Sunday World, Winnie Madikizela Mandela was downgraded to a capped top-up contract of R2 500 per month while Zinzi, Zenani, Mandla, Mbuso and Ndaba Mandela are on R750 top up contracts.

Vodacom spokesperson Byron Kennedy confirmed this, commenting that the Mandelas had been long-standing customers of the telecommunications giant.

“As governance requirements and expectations in South Africa and around the world have progressively changed over the past two decades, so too has the contractual relationship between corporates and the likes of the Mandela family,” he added.

Sunday Sun also reported that Bonang Matheba had been downgraded from VIP status on the network after she went on a Twitter rant. A source said she had racked up a bill running into R150 000 in one month only.

“After the latest attack on the company, Vodacom decided to downgrade her from its VIP list to being a mere prepaid subscriber.

“As a VIP subscriber, her number had premium benefits, which are way different from those of ordinary citizens. But the company feels enough is enough.”

Kennedy said Matheba was downgraded because she had requested them to do so and they were merely following her instructions.

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