By Xoliswa Zulu
A Durban businessman has criticised Telkom's response in restoring telephone lines to areas where communication has been interrupted by sabotage to street distribution units.
Residents in Pinetown, Westmead, Durban North, Umhlanga, La Lucia and Kloof have expressed their frustration at being without landline communication since Monday.
Sibusiso Mhlambi, who supplies medical equipment to state hospitals, said his business depended on landline and email facilities and Telkom's response to the problem was unacceptable.
"We have five lines and none of them are working. We have been phoning (Telkom) and we are not getting anywhere and they cannot provide us with an emergency line," he said.
Another business owner, Mike Neekin, of Pinetown, said it was "dreadful" trying to conduct business without landlines.
"We can't function, the business has virtually come to a standstill and it's atrocious."
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Bonke Dumisa said some of the chamber's members had called to complain.
"In as far as Durban is concerned, the impact is minimal, but if one business is affected it is one too many and it costs them money."
Telkom Chief Technical Officer Thami Msimango said its network was experiencing problems in some parts because of damage to the street distribution units.
Msimango said 65 units had been damaged since Sunday - 46 of these in KwaZulu-Natal, mainly in the greater Durban area.
"Damage mainly includes the wilful cutting of connection points to customers and the incineration of entire street distribution cabinets, and the nature of the damage indicates that this was the work of vandals on an orchestrated basis.
"Customers are assured that the restoration of their services is our main priority," he said.
Mfanafuthi Sithebe, spokesperson for the Communications Workers' Union, whose members are striking in a wage dispute with Telkom, said the destruction of the units could not be blamed on striking workers.
"People should not point fingers, they should come out and say who did this. It's our legal right to go on strike and if the lines are congested or not working it's unfortunate, but it's not our fault. We sympathise with businesses, but we didn't do this and we can't take responsibility for something we did not do."