President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, President Jacob Zuma, are to meet in Johannesburg to discuss MTN's $5.2billion fine.
President Buhari with President Zuma
South Africa-based Sunday Times reports that President Buhari and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa are expected to meet this week and discuss the fine along the sidelines of the Forum of China-Africa Co-operation. The event takes place on December 4-5 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The newspaper, however, reports that the South African government has been unwilling to confirm or deny its involvement in the MTN matter.
Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations, told the Sunday Times that government was monitoring the development with keen interest.
He said: "The matter between MTN and Nigeria is between a private company and issues of compliance in a market they do business in."
The expected meeting between the two heads of state comes after the minister of communications, Adebayo Shittu, said last Wednesday that Buhari will decide MTN's fate regarding the fine.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) fined MTN $5.2billion for failing to disconnect five million unregistered SIM cards in a timely manner.
The SIM card registration process is designed to curb terror and criminal threats in the country.