Vodacom: International operations chief resigns

ROMEO Kumalo, the chief operating officer of Vodacom Group’s international business, had resigned from the wireless operator, the company said yesterday. Kumalo, who started at Vodacom in 2004 and was a member of the executive committee, would step down to join his family business, according to an internal memo by chief executive Shameel Joosub and verified by spokesman Richard Boorman. Kumalo previously managed Vodacom’s Tanzanian operations and was in charge of leading the company’s expansion into the African continent. His replacement had not been named, Joosub said in the memo. Vodacom has more than 29 million customers in its international operations, which include Lesotho, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. The company is trying to strengthen its fixed line network operations by acquiring South African internet provider Neotel, as well as bidding for Tanzanian landline operator Zanzibar Telecom. The company’s shares added 0.07 percent to R139.20 yesterday. – Bloomberg