August 6th 2020: The illegal cell tower at no 47, 4th road, Heathfield, Cape Town, South Africa has finally been removed. Heathfield,  4th Avenue Background: 17 May 2017, letter to the COCT by Mrs K Wentzel, community activist. Excerpt: In 2016 during the month of March, Telkom erected an illegal freestanding mast at house no 47,...Read More

A community stood together after having their voices silenced. The residents of Kleinvlei, under the leadership of Dr. Gavin Davis and Mrs L. October, refused to surrender their autonomy to the wireless industry, and can now claim victory after a hard won battle. The battle dates back from 2014. The tower at Erf 789, Kleinvlei,...Read More

A cell tower application in Kirstenhof, Tokai (southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa) was refused by the City of Cape Town’s Municipal Planning Tribunal. The applicant has 21 days to appeal the decision of the MPT. The Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) on 19 November 2019 refused in terms of section 98 of the City...Read More

  1. Background New planning legislation was adopted and implemented in Cape Town on 1 July 2015, inclusive of the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning By-law, 2015 (the by-law). The by-law also includes the City of Cape Town Development Management Scheme (DMS), which is the zoning scheme for the City. All land units within...Read More

Among the topics we discuss in our November 2019 Newsletter: Glioblastoma RFR Carcinogenicity The Precautionary Principle versus the ALARA Principle 5G Research at Bremen University The WHO, UN, ITU and ICNIRP – Important decisions made at the recent ITU congress in Egypt. Videos and podcasts Occupational risks for cell tower antenna workers and maintenance workers...Read More

Source: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/there-is-recourse-for-cape-residents-when-fibre-installation-causes-damage-37885341?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social 25 NOVEMBER 2019, 3:38PM / FELICITY PURCHASE “We have asked contractors who are installing fibre on behalf of the various fibre-optic service providers to maintain their service integrity.” Picture: Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA) Excerpt only, for the full article, please see: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/there-is-recourse-for-cape-residents-when-fibre-installation-causes-damage-37885341?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social There is recourse when fibre installation causes damage The letter, “Installation of fibre...Read More

According to MyBroadband (5 November 2019), David Chen, VP of Huawei’s Southern African Region, said that South Africa’s current site approval systems might not be able to cope with the expected large volumes of 5G site applications. For this reason, Chen believes that the site application process will need to be automated, and this needs...Read More

EMFSA’s interpretation of the City’s decision: What are “minor freestanding cell masts” ? Read as: 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi small cells ‘minor freestanding masts and minor rooftop masts can be installed at or on these sites WITHOUT prior land use APPROVAL from the City or adjacent LAND OWNERS’ Provisions to allow for the installation of...Read More

Image: Heathfield mast Image credit: EMFSA 23 October 2019 Telkom has launched an appeal to the Constitutional Court and as such the City of Cape Town is not able to act on the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment until the Constitutional Court has finally pronounced on the matter. Background:Read More

The Supreme Court of Appeal has, in a unanimous judgment, affirmed the City of Cape Town’s constitutional mandate to regulate and control the use of land within its municipal borders. The judgment sets an important precedent that all telecommunications service providers, inclusive of state-owned Telkom, must obtain the City’s approval prior to installing cellphone masts...Read More