Seatides residents up in arms and ready to fight proposed cellular mast

Seatides residents are up in arms over the proposed installation of a cellular mast and base station by American Tower Corporation (ATC).

The company will install the mast in the yard of a house on 4 Kingfish Knoll street after residents denied the use Seatides Primary School premises as an installation site four years ago.

According to a notice outside the house, residents have until next week Monday to submit written objections.

The erection of the mast was advertised in a national newspaper in October.

Chairperson of the Seatides Ratepayers Association, Rajen Pillay, said they are busy drawing up a petition.

He said although studies find both for and against cellular masts in residential areas, the potential health risks, especially in the long term, outweighed the communal benefit such an installation may bring.

“The mast is to be erected on residential property, and those of us who live closest will be exposed to intense electromagnetic radiation for the
rest of our lives. Therefore, I believe the municipality must protect the health of families from potential harm,” said Pillay.

He said a cellular mast and base station will also reduce the value of adjoining properties in the immediate to long term.

This will come at a great cost to residents should they wish to sell their properties.

“The mast will detract from the aesthetics of the area and will scare would be buyers who will be fearful of placing their health at risk,” said Pillay.

Pillay said there are several suitable sites on the periphery of Seatides and on open fields that are further away from homes.

He believes the construction of a cellular mast on these properties will be less harmful to the health of citizens.

“Choosing a site on a residential property, shows that for ATC commercial interests supersedes social and health interests. The property owner has placed his financial interests above the interests of his immediate neighbours and the community of Seatides at large.”

Pillay said he contacted ATC and according to him, the company’s site acquisition specialist, Chantel Hawksworth, said the proposed land will not suffice as their customer needs to provide a network within the 1km radius of the providentially zoned area.

They cannot move closer to an existing tower as this will defeat the objective of providing adequate network coverage to the area.

ATC confirmed that Pillay did contact them about moving the mast to another area and explained to him why those locations were not suitable for meeting their customer’s network coverage requirements.

“ATC South Africa’s efforts in the Seatides community and in many communities around South Africa are to facilitate the objectives of the National Broadband Policy – Broadband for all by 2030.

“The primary facilitator enabling this national directive is telecommunications infrastructure. We encourage the community and all stakeholders to participate in the legislative municipal consultation process.

“eThekwini Municipality have a robust telecommunications infrastructure policy that considers the merits of the application, taking the most appropriate decision to ensure access to services for their constituents.

“ATC South Africa look forward to the outcome of the telecommunications infrastructure development application lodged with eThekwini Municipality.”

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