School ends fight with chief

31 December 2009 - 02:00
By Alfred Moselakgomo

THE tug of war between a Mpumalanga chief and a local school over who should receive the rental fees from cellular network company's aerial tower, has finally been resolved .

THE tug of war between a Mpumalanga chief and a local school over who should receive the rental fees from cellular network company's aerial tower, has finally been resolved .

Sowetan can reveal that the company has decided to share the R24000 yearly rental fee between the bickering parties.

This despite MTN's refusal to reveal details of their new agreement with Dikgabo Combined School and Kgosi Tlhame Moepi,

The money is a rental fee for the company's reception antennae that have been erected on the school premises .

"I can confirm that we have amicably resolved the matter between the chief and the school," company spokesperson Bridget Bhengu said.

"But MTN is not at liberty to disclose details of the agreement."

The agreement ends a two-year row between the Bakgata ba Mocha tribal authority and Dikgabo school management.

Initially the company planned to pay the fee to the chief but had to abandon this because of public pressure.

The school management and angry community members had threatened to block the cellphone company from erecting the tower in the school yard.