Cell phone masts encroaching on residents
They're popping up all over Roodepoort without residents and councillors being informed.
A cell phone mast erected overnight on private property in Golf Club Terrace is a thorn in the side for many residents — and it’s only one of three put up and 22 proposed in Roodepoort recently.
The real issue is proper procedures not being followed; in this and other cases proposals never crossed the desks of relevant ward councillors and ward committees. The Golf Club Terrace mast was put up in May despite residents following the objection procedure, a second mast was put up on the corner of Beverly Drive South and Golf Club Terrace despite 14 residents opposing it in January. Another mast was erected on Elsenburg Street in Witpoortjie this winter, completely unannounced to residents.
According to other media reports in 2014 and earlier this year MTN has secured a tender to turn lampposts into cellular base stations from City Power. It seems some of these masts form part of that project. In September 2014 Business Day Live reported the problem is “residents were not consulted and there appears to be a rough-shod approach to environmental legislation and bylaws intended to protect affected parties”. Apparently MTN is entitled to replace any of 110 000 lampposts throughout Johannesburg with these ‘mini-masts’. It appears City Power pockets monthly rent for each site with the added bonus that street lighting is provided and guaranteed by MTN.
In an e-mail to Ward 85 councillor Carl Mann Miranda Lusiba (of Strangé Consulting on behalf of a company called Afrivision) asked to confirm the relevant wards for 22 proposed cell phone masts in Helderkruin, Roodekrans, Ontdekkerspark, Horison, Carenvale, Quellerina, Constantia Kloof, Kloofendal, Ruimsig, Poortview, Amorosa, Strubens Valley, Florida and Florida Lake, Honeydew Ridge, Witpoortjie and even Industria North. This to the end ensuring councillors are informed in writing of the proposals and proper procedure is followed as stipulated by CoJ. However, this does not erase the irregularities in masts erected in previous months.
Mann has been in contact with the owners of the business property on Golf Club Terrace as well as in communications with the Constantia Kloof Residents Association, MTN and City Power to establish the facts and understand a road forward. A next article with details will follow. Should residents have any further information on the masts, contact journalist Mathilde Myburgh on mathildem@caxton.co.za
What does the municipality say?
According to the City of Johannesburg’s application guidelines to erect cellular telephone infrastructure (in terms of the Cellular Mast Police adopted by council in December 2001) a building plan approval should be handes in. To apply to erect such a mast costs R2 645 per application. The application shall contain “at least” these documents “as a minimum requirement”, according to the document: a duly completed Standard Council application form, a site plan with measurements, specifications of the mast in terms of size, height and type, a copy of the full Title Deed of the property with all conditions, a formal zoning certificate and SG diagram, a lease agreement, the owner’s consent, the Standard Council’s Engineers obligation and a letter of EIA approval from GDARD in terms of the Nema Regulations (effective July 2006).
It also states the adjacent landowner “or any landowner who… might be affected by the application” shall be requested in writing to comment on the application within 21 days of being requested to do so in writing. Affected parties should be notified by registered mail and a confirmation of this via a map of the area is also to be included in the application. It further states, “The application shall be referred to the relevant ward committee for comments… within 21 days of such request.”
Should the mast be proposed to be erected on council land, applicants need written permission from the property owner and the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC).
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