Reinstatement of Telephone Number *** – Alika Training (Suspension ***) Due to Billing Issues

Reinstatement of Telephone Number *** – Alika Training (Suspension ***) Due to Billing Issues

Urgent Request for Reinstatement of Number *** Dear Telkom Customer Service, I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing on behalf of Alika Training, the owner number ***, which I purchased from Neotel in 2015 and ported to Telkom five years ago after NeoTel closed down. We have encountered ongoing issues with our billing and services that have led to the suspension of this number, causing significant disruptions to our operations. I wish to detail the sequence of events and request immediate action for reinstatement or porting of the number. 1. Billing Issues and Invoice Non-Delivery For almost an entire year, Telkom's billing department failed to send us invoices in a timely manner. Despite multiple attempts to rectify the issue, we were forced to visit Telkom's Lake Side Mall, Benoni store, to manually print our invoices and make payments via Pep stores. This created significant inconvenience for our business, especially given that we had no control over the failure to receive invoices. 2. Number Suspension Due to Non-Payment In November 2024, our number was suspended due to delayed payments. However, this delay was not due to our negligence but the result of Telkom failing to provide us with invoices. Despite making payments as soon as we were able to access our account information, the suspension persisted. We paid the outstanding balance along with additional credit, and upon contacting Telkom Lake Side Mall, Benoni store, we were assured that once the billing department processed the payment, our number would be automatically reinstated. Unfortunately, this did not happen. 3. Unresolved Communication with Telkom On 21 January 2024, I spoke with Telkom’s accounts department representative, Nobuhle, at approximately 14:45. She insisted that our number would not be reinstated because it was suspended in November 2024 (Reference Number: ***A). She further stated that the number now belonged to Telkom, which contradicts the Portability Law that clearly states that the original owner of the number retains ownership even after porting to a new service provider. 4. Legal Consideration: Portability Law According to the Portability Law, when a phone number is ported to a new service provider, the original owner retains ownership of the number. It is not "owned" by the new provider but remains associated with the individual subscriber. Therefore, we assert that the number *** remains the property of Alika Training. 5. Impact on Alika Training and Urgency of Reinstatement This number is critical to the operations of our business, Alika Training, and we cannot afford to lose it: • (a) Alika Training is an accredited training service provider by TETA, QCTO, and the Labor Department. *** is the primary contact number for the business. • (b) All our trained students receive certificates bearing the number ***, which employers use to verify the authenticity of these certificates. If we do not resolve this matter promptly, it will severely affect our students' job prospects. • (c) The number is also the main contact for a government department’s Supply Chain Learnership program, and its loss would disrupt this vital partnership. • (d) We have already filed an official complaint with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), but have yet to receive a response. 6. Request for Immediate Action In light of the circumstances, we urgently request that Telkom: 1. Reinstate our number *** immediately and continue as Telkom customers. 2. If reinstatement is not possible, reinstate the number and we request seven (7) working days to port the number to another service provider to avoid further disruption to our services. Any immediate intervention from Telkom and ICASA will be greatly appreciated as we seek to resolve this issue and continue serving our clients and students without further hindrance. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Kind Regards, Alika Training Director Cell: ***, Email: ***