• RICA - stands for the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act.
  
• This Act was put in place by the South African Government and requires, amongst other things, for customer information to be recorded and verified.
  
• RICA also requires everyone to register all new and existing mobile phone numbers from 1 July 2009.

The new provisions of RICA affect all customers with mobile products, including mobile phones, SIM-cards and 3G data cards.

• New SIM-cards will only be activated on the cellular networks once registered.
  
• If you currently have an active SIM-card you will have to register it before 30 June 2011 or we will be forced to deactivate your number.

As a single user, you need to provide us with the following information

• Cellphone number (as well as the MSISDN and IMEI numbers)
  
• Your full names & surname
  
• Your Identity number or Passport number – you can show us one of the following documents as proof of identity:
  • Green barcoded ID document
  • Temporary ID
  • Passport
• Your address
  • You need to provide us with your residential address and if that is not available, you can give us a work address or a business address. To prove your address in terms of the RICA act, you need to show us a document that contains your name and address such as a bank statement, municipal rates or other utility bill, Telkom, cellphone or retail account (all not older than 3 months), an existing lease, rental or credit sale or insurance policy or a current TV license or new motor vehicle license
  • If you are resident in an informal settlement, you can give us the address of a school, church or retail store together with a letter or affidavit from the head of the school or church or manager of the store, on an official letterhead containing an official stamp, confirming that you reside in the informal settlement and receive your post there

The business will have to authorise a representative who will register the cell phone(s) or SIM-card(s) on behalf of the business. You can prove this authority by a letter of authority or with an affidavit. The business will also need to store records of employees who use the business cell phones. If your business includes renting out cell phones, you will have to record and store the details of customers that you lease the cell phones and SIM-cards to.

As a business, you need to provide us with the following information:

• Cellphone number (as well as the MSISDN and IMEI numbers)
• The representative’s full names & surname & ID or passport number - you can show us one of the following documents as proof of his/her identity:
  • Green barcoded ID document
  • Temporary ID
  • Passport
• The representative's address
  • You need to provide us with the representative's residential address and if that is not available, his/her work or business address. To prove this, you can show us a document that contains the representative’s name and address such as a bank statement, municipal rates or other utility bill, Telkom, cellphone or retail account (all not older than 3 months), an existing lease, rental or credit sale or insurance policy or a current TV license or new motor vehicle license
  • If the representative is resident in an informal settlement, you can give us the address of a school, church or retail store together with a letter or affidavit from the head of the school or church or manager of the store, on an official letterhead containing an official stamp, confirming that the representative resides in the informal settlement and receives his/her post there
  • Your business name and registration number which you can prove with a registration document, a founding statement, a SARS document or another similar document.
  • Your business address which could either be the registered address or where the business is situated. You can prove your business address in the same manner as set out for your representative’s address – therefore one of the documents that contain both the business name and address.

No, RICA registration is completely free of charge.

You will have to do the following to be compliant:

• Record the particulars of the person who is renting the SIM-card as outlined above
• Record the period for which the SIM-card is rented
  
• Verify the details as per the verification process outlined depending whether the lessee is a natural or a juristic person
• Store the information for 5 years
• Provide the information to an official who is authorized to request it
• Report suspicious or known fraudulent identity documents submitted for verification to police within 24 hours

• Should you not comply you may be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R2m or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years.

Yes it does, you will have to do the following:

• Record and check (verify) the employees’ particulars as for single users
• Record the date and period for which the SIM-card was provided
  
• Store the information for five years
• Provide the information to an official who is authorized to request it
• Report suspicious or known fraudulent identity documents submitted for verification to the police within 24 hours

• Should you not comply you may be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R 2m or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years.

• Registration started on 1 July 2009 and new cell phones issued will have to comply with these new requirements before it is activated.
  
• Please make sure your cell phone is registered before 30 June 2011 to avoid discontinuation of your number.
  

MWEB will ensure that the details and information provided are kept completely confidential and we will not use it for any other purpose other than those stipulated in the RICA Act.

If you sell or provide an activated SIM-card to a person other than a family member, you must immediately contact MWEB and provide the following:

• Your full names, surname and identity number
• All the particulars (as set out above) in respect of the person or entity who is to receive the SIM-card

• Should you not comply you may be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months.

You must report this to the police within a reasonable time.

• Should you not comply you may be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding 2 years.