Mobile phone giant barred from sending Covid-19 updates

Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile phone company has been barred by the High Court from sending text messages to subscribers listing daily coronavirus infections and deaths. Econet Wireless, which has 13m subscribers, was sued by Sikhumbuzo Moyo for sending coronavirus updates as infections and deaths surged last month. In court filings, Moyo said he lost his father to Covid-19 and the unsolicited messages from the mobile operator were depressing. A report on the News24 site notes that he asked the company not to send him the daily text messages to no avail. Justice David Mangota ruled that the company had violated Moyo’s constitutional rights. 'The unilateral transmission of messages to applicant by the respondent service provider is illegal, wrongful and unconstitutional,' he said.