Australian mining company lays claim on Please Call Me payout

Please call me inventor Nkosana Makate will not be receiving his full payout from Vodacom until the dispute with his previous legal funder is resolved.

Makate’s former legal funder Black Rock Mining Limited recently filed papers in the Johannesburg High Court contesting a claim for 40% of Makate’s multimillion-rand settlement, estimated at over R500 million.

Makate’s lawyers Stemela & Lubbe Inc. have agreed to withhold the 40% until the matter is back in court on 2 December 2025.

Makate’s lawyers have told Black Rock Mining that if the matter is postponed, dismissed or struck off then the settlement will be paid out in full.

Black Rock Mining’s attorney, Sinehlanhla Mguni, says, “There’s been a settlement of Part A of the application, which my client Black Rock Mining brought against Mr Makate, his attorneys, as well as Vodacom, and it has been agreed that Part A no longer needs to be and that the attorneys for Mr Makate will retain 40% of the amount, which Mr Makate received from Vodacom being the same amount that my client alleges or claims is due to it, pending the finalisation of the matter on the 2nd of December 2025 being Part B of our application.

Please Call Me | ‘Black Rock claims 40% of Makate payout’