ADSL on its last legs in South Africa

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  By   Daniel Puchert Partially state-owned telecommunications company Telkom announced in its financial results for the year ending 31 March 2025 that its ADSL subscribers had more than halved to under 30,000. According to the company’s operational data, ADSL lines decreased from 64,959 in March 2024 to 29,770. This 54.2% decline highlights that the legacy broadband technology is slowly approaching the end of the road. Telkom’s ADSL business peaked at the end of March 2016 with 1.01 million subscribers — two years after fibre upstart Vumatel  broke ground in Parkhurst . What followed was a sharp decline in Telkom ADSL subscribers. Customers connected to its copper networks decreased by more than 500,000 over the next four years. This was partly driven by Telkom itself, which began actively switching off its copper network in some neighbourhoods. If it did not have fibre in the area, it would offer a “fixed line lookalike” wireless service that ran over its cellular ...

Zulu royal family endorse new king Misuzulu kaZwelithini

 08 May 2021 - 19:27

BY MLU MDLETSHE
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini with prime minister of the Zulu monarchy Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi at KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini with prime minister of the Zulu monarchy Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi at KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU/Sunday Times

Princess Thembi Zulu-Ndlovu, sister of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, has assured SA that the family is fully behind the new Zulu king, Misuzulu kaZwelithini.

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Zulu-Ndlovu's statement comes after proceedings at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace, following the reading of Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu's will on Friday night.

The queen died at the age of 65 and was interred during a private ceremony on Thursday morning in her Nongoma palace.

In her will, the late regent of the Zulu kingdom bequeathed the monarchy to her 46-year-old son, whose name means “strengthening the Zulus”.

Princess Thembi told TimesLIVE that the new king would receive their full guidance, should he seek it.

“Even before the reading of the will, I spoke to my children and the Royal House and told them to open up their hearts and minds.

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“I said we have to support whoever is called to take over, regardless of where they come from ... as long as he comes from the Royal House.

“Our way forward now is to congratulate the heir and praise him. If he needs us to guide him we will do so because these are the only fathers he has left.”

Traditional prime minister for the Zulu nation Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi said there would still be formalities to be followed for the king's coronation, which include submitting documents of their meetings to KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala's office.
Traditional prime minister for the Zulu nation Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi said there would still be formalities to be followed for the king's coronation, which include submitting documents of their meetings to KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala's office.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU/Sunday Times

Zulu-Ndlovu added that she was still awaiting a meeting with the prime minister to the Zulu nation, Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

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“Before I arrived here at the palace I requested to sit and meet with him and talk. He agreed that we would meet at the KwaKhangelamankengane but to this day we haven't had that meeting.”

At a media conference in the palace on Saturday evening, Buthelezi said that both Princess Thembi and Prince Mbonisi had given their full support to the new Zulu king in a meeting with family.

“Following the burial of the late regent, Her Majesty Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, the senior matriarch of the Zulu royal family, Queen Mayvis Mazungu, gathered members of the family this morning to comfort one another and express sympathies.

“During this meeting Princess Thembi and Prince Mbonisi pledged their loyalty and support for His Majesty, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. The family appreciates this indication that stability and unity have been restored under His Majesty the King,” he said.

Buthelezi said there would still be formalities to be followed for the king's coronation, which include submitting documents of their meetings to KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala's office.

TimesLIVE


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