In Case You Missed It: "MTN Has Already Lost Investors"

In Case You Missed It: "MTN Has Already Lost Investors" South African Newspaper: "United Against Nuclear Iran has Waged a War Against MTN, Calling on US Investors to Quit their Exposure" By Sharda Naidoo Mail & Guardian May 4, 2012 MTN's share price is likely to remain wobbly as jittery foreign investors face massive pressure from United States authorities and lobby groups to quit their exposure in Africa's R255-billion cellphone giant because of its business activities in Iran. The company is in danger of being smacked with US sanctions for allegedly providing the Iranian government with technology and spyware to perpetuate what US President Barack Obama claims are "grave" human rights abuses. ... "MTN has already lost investors," said Stephen Meintjies, head of research at local stockbrokers Imara SP Reid. "Although it has recovered a bit from the lows of early and mid-April, there are still risks and fears of sanctions. ..." About 55% of MTN's shares are foreign owned and US investors hold about 15% of them. US lobby group United against Nuclear Iran has waged a war against MTN, calling on US investors to quit their exposure in the JSE-listed blue-chip stock, accusing it of providing the Iranian regime with the data necessary to commit human rights abuses. The nervousness over MTN's future performance is reflected in its share price over the past month. It has yo-yoed from R143.25 on March 12 (when details of the claims started to surface) to a 12-month low of R127.55 on April 4 (a few days after Turkcell's court papers were filed), before slowly recovering to levels of around R135 now. A year ago, it was trading in the range of R150. ... Click here to read the full article. Click here to learn more about UANI's MTN campaign. Click here to send a message to MTN. ###

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.