Endless issues, zero solutions. Telkom failed our elderly family member.

To Whom It May Concern Telkom/Openserve: I am writing on behalf of Mrs Scholtz, an 82-year-old Telkom customer who has been a loyal paying member for more than 50 years. Since the migration to the wire-wire system, she has continued to pay all her contributions and prepaid bills without fail.

Over the past two years (or more), she has experienced ongoing problems with her phone. Each time, she visited the Telkom Vangate store to report the fault. Although the device was repeatedly taken in for “repairs,” Telkom staff later confirmed that the issue was not the phone itself but a network problem.

Eventually, after being advised that a phone which has been repaired twice often continues to malfunction, I purchased a brand-new device for Mrs Scholtz. The SIM card was inserted, but once again the phone could not connect to the network. A Canal Walk staff member advised that the device should be taken to Telkom Kenilworth for assessment by a technician.

However, the Telkom Vangate assistant (Ameera) instructed Mrs Scholtz not to go to Kenilworth and instead to continue using her old phone, keeping the new one “for later” as Telkom would allegedly not refund her. Mrs Scholtz left hopeful, but once again discovered that the phone is still not working. Network issues, not able to receive incoming or making outgoing calls

At 82 years old, with impaired eyesight due to nerve damage since childhood, Mrs Scholtz relies entirely on her phone as her only connection to her children, family, and friends. She is an independent and articulate woman, but this ongoing situation has left her frustrated and distressed.

After purchasing a new device for R1 050 and additional prepaid airtime of R150 - only to be told that none of this resolves the issue - it is unacceptable that she is still without a functioning phone.

We urgently request a formal response from Telkom and immediate assistance to resolve this matter. Mrs Scholtz simply wants a working phone line after years of loyalty and consistent payments.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Rita Valentine