from NJABULO BUTHELEZI in Durban
KwaZulu Natal Bureau
DURBAN, (CAJ News) – VODACOM has partnered the community of Kamberg in KwaZulu-Natal to secure towers against battery theft.
This is paving the way for a new community-led model that ensures the safety and security of base station sites across the province, ensuring uninterrupted access to connectivity.
Molefe Mahlangu, Executive Head of Operations at Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal, said, “Vodacom has always maintained that the number one line of defence against site vandalism is the local community.”
“We cannot combat this issue alone and appreciate that police and private security cannot be everywhere, hence our appeals to communities to get involved.”
“Following a series of meetings between ourselves and the Kamberg community, this community offered to deploy further security measures in ensuring that the community is not deprived of essential communications services. In our view this is the kind of futuristic model that is going to help end vandalism in our country.”
The Kamberg community put up a second security layer in the form of an electric fence around the three Vodacom towers that are regularly hit in the area.
Vodacom South Africa loses around R100 million (US5,39 million) to vandalism and battery theft each year.
– CAJ News