Dolphin Coast residents opposed to the installation of two 5G cellphone masts have welcomed the announcement by KwaDukuza municipality that the public participation process would be reopened.

Concerned residents challenged the initial application by American Tower South Africa (ATC), claiming the public participation process had been flawed.

The notice to grant permission to ATC to place the 5G (5th generation) masts were advertised during level 5 lockdown, firstly on March 4 in a KwaDukuza newspaper that is not distributed in Ballito, and in a public notice placed on the boundary of 38 Karyn Street, Ballito.

Residents said they had not seen the notice as the lockdown regulations did not permit them to leave their homes, except for essentials.

Also read: Ballito residents fearful of health risks over 5G mobile masts

Despite the push-back from residents, ATC contested public concerns and said the applications for the construction and operation of the telecommunication mast and base stations were made in accordance with the municipal by-laws.

ATC spokesperson Theresa Stewart told the Courier they had followed the process to the letter.

KwaDukuza municipality spokesperson Sipho Mkhize confirmed that KDM had received 3 cellphone mast applications for the southern area of KwaDukuza – two for Zimbali and one for Ballito.

“The first application received for Portion 220 of Erf 325 Port Zimbali, the applicant being Torbiouse Solutions CC, acting on behalf of Zimbali Estate Management Association (Zema).

The formal submission was done on January 31, 2020.

The application was advertised in the Express Times on the same date with the closing date of objections being March 2, 2020. No objections were received on this application and the application was assessed and approved on June 1, 2020.

“To date no formal objections or comments have been received against this application.

“However, should the residents wish to pursue the matter further and considering that the timelines for an appeal has since lapsed, they have the right to approach a court of law for the review of the decision,” said Mkhize.

Zema general manager Sarika Sewpersad said there were currently 2 temporary 3G installations on the Zimbali Estate and the KDM notice was in relation to replacing these existing masts with permanent, more attractive, structures.

On March 6 the municipality received the applications for the two 5G cellphone masts now in question, for portion 47 of Erf 210 Port Zimbali and 38 Karyn Street.

After a Courier article on June 11, Zema got permission from the municipality to submit comments after the closing date.

This caused an outcry last week when a notice from Zema circulated advising Zimbali residents that they had until July 1 to lodge written objections. Ballito residents wanted to know why they had been excluded.

Following legal advice, the municipality will now reopen the second and third application process after it was agreed that due process had not been followed.

“The applicant will be requested to re-advertise the application in a local newspaper circulating within the municipal jurisdiction. In essence, the advice is considering that there were a number of days which fell within the lockdown period. This may have prejudiced some of the interested parties as such may be an issue legally if challenged.”

While 5G is the newest form of mobile internet technology and has been pegged as a faster, more reliable network, the effect of non-ionising radiation on the human body is unknown and 5G trials have been blocked in many countries.

Unlike the earlier 2G – 4G wireless technology, which use longer microwaves, 5G uses shorter waves which operate at higher frequencies and pulsation levels. Because these waves are short, they do not travel as far, which means 5G towers need to be closer to homes and businesses than the earlier, taller cell towers.

Termed “small cell,” these emit nearly the same radiation as older 4G cell towers, some experts state. In addition, 5G generate more heat than 4G. To prevent fire hazards, 5G masts are commonly installed with cooling fans that may run continuously.

Residents’ fears around the 5G cellphone masts range from the belief that the technology was untested and potentially dangerous, to resentment that that the masts were being forced upon the community.

These fears have been dismissed by the telecommunications industry and the SA government. They conclude that wireless technology has been in existence for decades and that studies have not found radio waves to pose any serious health risks.

However the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified all radio frequency radiation, of which mobile signals are a part, as ‘possibly carcinogenic’.

Among those opposing the masts is Ballito resident Craig Johnson, who called for the installation to be blocked until more research had been done.

Johnson said little was known about the effects on human health and it worried him that companies were being given the go-ahead to use this technology

“My second reason has to do with the unsightly mast that will be erected and the resultant negative impact on properties in the immediate area. Nobody wants to live next door to a cellphone antennae,” said Johnson.

The proposed masts are 25 to 35m high, which is almost ten stories, but outside urban areas mobile operators want to build even taller masts because they significantly boost coverage while keeping costs down.

Commenting on the Courier’s Facebook page, Ballito resident Mike Bishop said: “Amazing how major considerations which require public participation always have the ads placed in ‘newspapers’ that are of no real significance in the community where these installations are going up. Sweeping it under the rug I think.”

Another Ballito resident said her concern was for children: “5G is 1,500 times stronger than 3G and 4G. I urge the community to stop this from going ahead as the proposed mast in Ballito is directly opposite a pre-primary school and a clinic.”

Cyril Doloza from Shakaskraal urged residents to take a stand.

“Let’s vote against it before it’s too late. We’ll lose many lives if we keep quiet about this. From the investigation I’ve done on the 5G technology, it is high risk,” he said.

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