uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KZN is soaring into the future with the adoption of drone technology aimed at enhancing disaster response and accelerating service delivery.

The Witness reports that the municipality’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Unit, supported by drone service provider Smart Aerial Systems, recently co-ordinated the production of a short documentary and a live demonstration to showcase the wide-ranging capabilities of drones in municipal operations.

Key departments, including the Disaster Management Unit, Environmental Health Unit and Fire and Rescue Unit, participated in the showcase, highlighting how this cutting-edge technology could enhance their services and significantly improve response times.

The municipality has three certified drone pilots. According to officials, various departments have shown strong enthusiasm for the initiative, viewing it as a vital step towards smarter, more responsive and future-ready governance.

ICT manager Nombuso Hlophe cited two tragic incidents where drone technology could have played a role in reducing damage and saving lives – the Henley Dam flooding in January 2024, which claimed a life, and the devastating loss of firefighters in Howick while battling a farm fire.

These incidents underscore the critical need for advanced tools to prevent similar tragedies.

She says the drive to adopt drone technology was not simply about keeping up with innovation, but about fulfilling the municipality’s core mandate of delivering essential services, particularly in water provision and disaster management.

“We’ve begun planning for the official rollout of our drone pilot project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of our fire, disaster management and environmental health teams. This technology will allow them to perform their duties more effectively.”

She adds that these core functions determine the kind of technology required to enhance performance, prevent loss of life and support data-driven decision-making.

“We will assist disaster management teams in conducting pre- and post-disaster assessments – identifying high-risk areas and developing strategies to prevent or reduce the impact of fires or floods.”

One of the operations conducted so far involved a drone mission in uMshwathi Local Municipality, where the drone was used to survey a riverbank near informal settlements.

“We discovered that residents were disposing of waste into the river, which was accumulating near a low-lying bridge,” says Hlophe. “This poses a significant risk during flooding… The bridge could become blocked, endangering lives.”

She says the data gathered through drone surveillance is already helping disaster management teams better understand and mitigate such risks.

“We are excited that the municipality recognises the value of this technology, not only in saving lives but also in improving the speed and quality of service delivery.”

uMgungundlovu firefighter Commander Mbulelo Dlamini echoed these sentiments, saying the technology will help save lives.

“Drones can reach areas that are inaccessible to people. That means we can gather critical information and develop plans to rescue individuals trapped in dangerous situations,” says Dlamini.

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