Controversial Bakgatla royal chief, Kgafela II, has called on the mobile operators and the government to swallow their pride and compromise with the entire nation by admitting that their communication products are a health hazard to the user community as explicitly evidenced by world renowned scientists.
Speaking at the occasion he himself organized at Rasesa Lodge on Friday, designed to sensitize the public about the magnitude of danger the cell towers and mobile phones can cause on people, Kgafela indicated that there was no running from the truth that these communication products, with their microwave emissions, were wreaking havoc on the communities, causing cancer, mental impediments and tumours, leading to unsatisfactory performance upon the students.
“Mobile operators should learn to compromise instead of burying their heads in the sand; they must acknowledge that their products are wrecking havoc on unsuspecting ordinary communities who depend heavily upon these cell towers and cell phones for communication purposes,” Kgafela said. “Days preceding his death, my father revealed similar symptoms alluded to by our guest speakers and that made me skeptical about these products.”
Among those in attendance were legislators and microwave scientist, Barry Trower, from the United Kingdom, who had earlier spoken and to whose remarks Kgafela was referring.
Trower testified that the cell towers and cell phones were answerable for world deaths caused by chronic and deadly diseases, such as cancer, brain tumours, suicides, murders, violent rage and attention deficiency as vividly illustrated by the students the world over.
“Molefhi secondary school used to impress the Kgatleng community, its students passing the final examinations with flying colours but of late with the advent of these technologies the pass rate leaves much to be desired, with my accusing finger pointing at these cell phones and cell towers, which were erected in the proximity of the school, causing students to do all social ills you may think of,” he added.
Trading as Mascom and Orange, the two mobile phones have as recently as last year became embroiled in controversy with the Bakgatla tribe in Mochudi, who insisted that the Mascom tower erected at Phuthadikobo Hill in the vicinity of the residence of their chief was a danger to their health and called for their abrupt removal. In the end, Bakgatla eventually destroyed the tower.
A war of words ensued between the tribe, the mobile service providers and the government, with the latter suggesting that the towers posed no health hazard.
“Our leaders, mobile service providers and the media should not forever live on this mentality of denial …together we must strike a compromise. If advanced countries have acknowledged and reached a compromise ‘who are we’ (not to)?”
Kgafela called on the mobile operators to lower their pulse modulation frequencies to at least a safe degree as this would be a “change in the right direction and in the interest of humanity”.
