Ron and Jean Fillis, Kirstenhof
Your column “Looks like the fixed line is finished” (Off My Trolley, June 27), did not mention a few other problems associated with this phone.
Although we were assured when we were offered it via a phone call last year that nothing would change, everything did.
The Evening Weekend free call service and the Closer Callcatcher disappeared and it took over a month to realise it.
Worst of all, our armed response was lost. Only when a neighbour warned us, did we discuss it with our alarm company.
The FLLA (fixed line look alike) is apparently “not a strong enough signal” so we had to pay R900 for a radio connection.The sound is also terrible, half the time there is an echo and it is often garbled.
Phone calls to Telkom meant they re-connected the Evening Weekend call service and refunded us the charged calls.The Closer Callcather is “not compatable” so after re-reading the very confusing 80-page book, we finally know how to access messages.
We were assured that all phones in our area (Kirstenhof) would be disconnected from copper in March 2019 and if we did not accept it then, we would have to buy it at over R1 000 and lose our phone number, which was the reason we accepted. Clearly a blackmail situation.
Of course, when arriving with a courier company, they failed to warn us that our phone line would cease immediately and we were also stuck with a FLLA that was still in the box. The chip was hard to fit for a nearly 80-year-old My son says its an old type, and the battery of course had to be charged as well.
We were, however, upon asking, told that our own existing wireless phones (a gift) would not work in conjunction with the FLLA, which we were very unhappy with as we had a phone in virtually every room. We now cannot go outside with a small receiver, we have to unplug the entire phone, plus disconnect it to take it to the bedroom at night.
The only positive was that a helpful Telkom lady finally phoned us back and explained more clearly the situation and promised to rectify the situation.
There are so many stories as well; an elderly relative told me her friend was told all her calls would be free on the FLLA by the man who came to install it.
Nobody has been properly trained and informed by Telkom. I dumped them years ago and use a Cell Mifi, as I could not stand the many problems I was faced with.
Sheila Camerer, chairperson of the Constantia Ratepayers and Residents Association
It is regrettable that Mr Nasser Solomon in his letter in last week’s Bulletin ( “Insulting comments,” July 4) opts to play the “man” and not the ball and prefers to attack me personally rather than address the issues raised in the article about what the CRRA tries to achieve in Constantia.
While I understand and sympathise with Mr Solomon’s bitterness about the past, I dismiss his attempt to label me politically. What he leaves out is that I was Deputy Minister of Justice in President Nelson Mandela’s Government of National Unity; I was a founder member of the DA, the first chair of the DA parliamentary caucus and a DA MP for many years.
After 22 years in Parliament, I was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki as South Africa’s ambassador to Bulgaria. Since I retired after serving our country for four years in that capacity I have been involved in community affairs.
As I pointed out in the article, while the CRRA welcomed the restoration of the Solomons’ property to the family, we have objected to the way the development thereof runs counter to the rules and guidelines applicable to Constantia in the Southern District Plan – the reason why, at the urging of over 80% of our members, we opposed the development in court.
According to Wesgro, Constantia is one of the top-six tourist destinations in Cape Town with all that implies for our economy and job creation for our city.
It is a special place and with its greenbelts and historic wine farms, of benefit to all residents and visitors.
A year and a half ago at a CRRA annual general meeting I extended an invitation to Mr Solomon to join our organisation so that we can work together to preserve this great asset to our city, and I hereby do so again.
Captain Ntombi Lindipasi, Wynberg police spokesperson
There have since been developments with Marlon Goliath’s case, (“‘Beaten up’ by law enforcement,” Bulletin, July 4).
According to our records, Mr Goliath’s arrest happened just after he had been released from prison. He had two convictions already.
He opened a case of common assault against those two law enforcement officers.
The necessary statement was obtained from the two officers and the matter was presented to the senior public prosecutor, and she declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence.