Conducted on social media, including Facebook, the survey required KZN residents to answer a set of five questions designed to gauge their perceptions around 5G.
Microsoft representative, Sandile Mhlaba, said while some responses indicated that the majority of citizens in the province were able to make a distinction between 5G technology and Covid-19, they also revealed a high level of ignorance.
When asked whether 5G caused Covid-19, Mahlaba said, some of the people said they were not sure while others believed a link existed between 5G technology and Covid-19.
“That on its own should be a big concern as it showed that there is a lot that needs to be done in terms of educating our people on 5G and other technologies. The survey, which is still running, is being conducted after residents in KZN recently destroyed a number of 5G towers across the province. Four MTN and Vodacom cellphone network towers in the province were torched on January 5 and 6.
Zikalala described the “myths and misconceptions” around 5G technology as “dangerous”.
“There is absolutely no evidence that towers are harmful or cause Covid-19. Anyone who tells us otherwise is not only reckless but also seeks to arrest our development as country. “Destroying these towers undermines progress,” he said
University of Johannesburg scientist and Vice Chancellor, Tshilidzi Marwala said there is no “causality” between Covid-19 and 5G technology, adding that the results of the survey will help the provincial government to devise programmes to educate citizens about 5G technology.
