By REGINALD KANYANE
1 August 2025- The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said it is outraged and deeply disappointed by the Constitutional Court’s decision to set aside the ruling that would have finally delivered long-overdue justice to Nkosana Makate, the rightful inventor of the revolutionary “Please Call Me” service.
The ANCYL said the latest development is not just a legal technicality, but a blow to black innovation, a betrayal of justice and a stark reminder of how corporate power continues to undermine the rights of the working class and black professionals in South Africa.
The ANCYL Secretary General, Mntuwoxolo Ngudle said Makate’s intellectual property was exploited by Vodacom and instead of being fairly compensated, he has spent more than two decades in courtrooms fighting for the recognition and reward that is rightfully his. Ngudle said that is not justice, that is cruelty disguised as legal process.
“The ANCYL stands firmly and unapologetically with Makate. We believe his victory is not just personal, but a symbol of a broader struggle for black creators, whose ideas are stolen or undervalued by powerful corporations that benefit from apartheid-era economic structures,” he said.
Ngudle further said they demand immediate and fair settlement with Makate that reflects the billions in revenue generated by his idea. He added that they demand parliamentary oversight on how Vodacom and other telecom companies treat intellectual property claims by workers and innovators.
“We demand urgent transformation of South Africa’s corporate and legal culture to protect black innovation from theft, exploitation and delay tactics. We also call on the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to review legislative gaps in intellectual property law that allow such blatant injustice to persist under the guise of litigation.
“Makate’s fight is our fight and we will not rest until corporate South Africa understands that black brilliance cannot be stolen with impunity. The time for Vodacom to do the right thing is now. History will not be kind to those who side with power over principle,” said Ngudle.
Meanwhile, the ConCourt referred the matter back to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
The Guardian 