Town Watch said in a newsletter that residents and the farming community often find themselves with no communication during long load-shedding periods when cellphone towers stop operating and their backup batteries run out. “This means that we could have a situation where no cellphones work for WhatsApp or normal cellphone calls. It could also lead to some internet service providers not being fully operational. You may also find yourself in an area where there is no cell phone signal and you may have an emergency.”

The radio network will allow residents to call directly to Farm Watch’s Emergency Service which is operational on a 24/7 basis under normal conditions. The radio coverage will include Hoedspruit and a radius of approximately 20km from Hoedspruit. “The radio selected for this project is a radio that works on digital technology through a repeater,” said the management. They said that this service is not intended to replace the services provided by SAPS or any security company. The intention is to provide a platform where you can call in an emergency if other communications fail.

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“As Farm Watch and Town Watch, we strongly recommend that you consider purchasing a radio unless you already have an existing Hytera digital radio. We will unfortunately not accept any other radio to be programmed on this channel unless it is an SFE SD300K or a Hytera digital radio. An optional car battery charger will be available for purchase should you need to charge your radio during load-shedding,” they added.

To qualify for a radio, you have to be a registered resident of Hoedspruit or the surrounding area (within radio range) living on a property recognised by the municipality as a formally registered dwelling. This also applies to lodges, formal businesses, and farmers within the range of the radio. “You have to be a paid-up member of Farm Watch or Town Watch. This is an annual fee of R600 for either Farm Watch or Town Watch members. As a business, there is an annual fee of R1200.” The radio, including the programming and VAT, costs R3152 and is available at Vector Communications.