King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality executive mayor, Nyaniso Nelani, revealed that the municipality is exploring the use of drones and CCTV cameras to arrest rampant vandalism to its electricity infrastructure.
Nelani further confirmed that vandalism was to blame for prolonged electricity outages, where electricity was switched off due to loadshedding but not restored for hours after the scheduled loadshedding period.
He was speaking at the conclusion of the municipality’s three-day mega-strategic planning session held at the Savoy Hotel in Mthatha, from March 11 to 13.
Last month Nelani decried vandalism to KSD municipality’s electricity infrastructure, where alleged perpetrators were caught on camera burning and bombing electricity infrastructure in several substations across town.
The continued vandalism, according to the municipality, was costing millions of rands in repairs.
“The commission on public safety and community services at the strategic planning session resolved that the municipality must explore the use of drones and CCTV cameras to secure our electricity infrastructure, and we are looking at implementing that resolution as a matter of urgency,” Nelani said.
He further said that drones will be used to monitor illegal dumping, as the municipality was grappling with mushrooming illegal dump sites.
The same commission further proposed the piloting of trolley bins to replace the current refuse bags used for domestic refuse collection.
“We view this recommendation as a cost-effective measure that must also be implemented urgently, as the trolley bins can be used for years to come instead of refuse bags that are not reusable, and costing the municipality a lot of money to procure,” added Nelani.
He said that the municipality was budgeting R2 million annually for refuse bags, but this was not enough, as the municipality always needed additional budget to cover the expense annually.
Nelani further revealed that the municipality was working to secure additional land for a cemetery, as the two cemeteries in Mthatha were over 90 percent full.
