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Zanu PF texts sent from Sweden: Econet
New Zimbabwe.com
December 17, 2009

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-1491-Zanu+PF+texts+sent+from+Sweden/news.aspx

Econet Wireless says it took action to shut down the source of SMS messages which caused a furore at Zanu PF's congress last weekend.

The mobile phone operator said the messages originated from delegates at the congress, and were routed to a messaging centre in Sweden which then transmitted them back as bulk text messages to its customers "using a computer that could send to our number range".

The text messages claimed the so-called Solomon Mujuru faction of the party would oppose President Robert Mugabe's nomination to lead the party for a further five years. Mugabe was endorsed unchallenged.

The party reacted with fury to the text messages, accusing Econet of "launching an electronic warfare attack against Zanu PF".

In a statement, Econet said: "We received complaints to the effect that unsolicited messages were being received by some of our customers.

"This was not only being directed to Econet, but also to other operators, but because we are the largest operator we received the majority of the messages.

"As the SMS messages were coming to us from Sweden through normal SMS channels, we asked the operator concerned to shut down the transmissions as they were in violation of interconnection agreements, and they agreed to do so."

The Zanu PF congress passed resolutions calling on the Security Minister, the Information Communication Technology Minister and telecoms sector regulators to investigate the "broadcasting of falsehoods and hate messages designed to cause alarm and despondency in violation of Zimbabwe's laws".

Econet said it was cooperating with authorities in finding both the source of the original texts as well as those who paid for their transmission on its network from Sweden.

The company added: "The persons who were sending messages to Sweden need to appreciate that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe.

"We also understand that the manner they did it may also have contravened Swedish law.

"We are installing software that will identify and block, immediately, any bulk SMS broadcasts, which we have not authorised in advance.

"There is no operator anywhere in the world, who allows an outside party to bombard its customers with SMS messages, irrespective of the contents of the SMS.

"It does not happen in Britain, or America, or Sweden. It is illegal, and an abuse of the system."

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