Blouberg residents object to cell phone mast erected at nearby school

23 April 2018 10:13 AM

Blouberg residents have expressed concerns over a cell phone mast that was erected on the Blouberg Ridge Primary School’s premises without their consent.

They're worried the radiation from the structure could pose a threat to the health of learners and the surrounding community.

Chairperson at Greater Table View Action Forum, Karen Davis says the residents were not contacted about the erection of this particular mast and there was no public participation.

Parents were apparently informed by the school that a structure would be erected, but no details were given.

The school should've made sure that everybody was on board with this and that they understood all the pros and cons involved. If more people were armed with information, it would've made a big difference.
— Karen Davis, Chairperson at Greater Table View Action Forum

Managing director at AlphaWave Group, Marnus Van Wyk explained some of the regulations which need to be adhered to when masts are erected in the community.

We asses installations in terms of international guidelines... if the mast is installed correctly it would be a 100 times below the guidelines.
— Marnus Van Wyk, Managing director at AlphaWave Group

The consensus of many leading bodies that look at these guidelines is that they are sufficient to protect us against any possible negative side effects.
— Marnus Van Wyk, Managing director at AlphaWave Group

To hear the rest of the interview, listen below:

Written by: Lengwadishang Ramphele