Rail officials were left scrambling to avert a confrontation in in the South African town of uMnambithi (formerly Ladysmith), about 230 kilometres northwest of Thekwini in KwaZulu Natal recently, after residents threatened to shoot down a drone spotted patrolling the area.
Reports from the country say residents were concerned after noting two drones making rounds over their properties in the last week.
But one of the drones apparently belongs to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the state-owned freight and passenger rail logistics operator in the country. The largest freight rail company in Africa, TFR is responsible for about 80 percent of the rail network in South Africa, and recently, it added drone technology to inspect its infrastructure.
Apparently somebody at the organisation forgot to send a memo to uMnambithi residentls who live close to the railway, and when they became aware of drones in their midst, they were not impressed; going to the extreme of threatening to shoot the drones down, according to a local report.
Local ward councillor Abbas Warasally then met with TFR officials last week, who confirmed that they had contracted a drone services company for infrastructure monitoring and inspection in the area.
He said TFR assured him that their drone is tracked and is not monitoring people’s homes. Its purpose, he explained, is strictly for infrastructure surveillance.
“They indicated that the drone has a tracker and is being used to monitor fuel lines,” Warasally said.
He added that the drone services company, UDS Solutions, had offered assistance when required to track down criminals in the area.
It was an affirmation that solved only half the problem however, as the residents insist that there is a second drone that appears to be flying directly into people’s yards.
Warasally said the TFR are not aware who the second drone belongs to.
“This is illegal – totally against the law,” he said. “No one has the right to invade people’s privacy by flying into their yards.”
Community members have expressed anger and frustration, with some warning that they will take matters into their own hands if the drone continues to enter their properties. Residents have told the councillor that they are furious and have
Warasally urged residents to remain calm while the matter is being addressed. He said efforts are underway to determine who is operating the second drone.
The problem of unauthorised drones flying for commercial purposes is a very serious one in South Africa, with some operators not bothering to licence their operations with the aviation authority, in part because an operating certificate an a very expensive undertaking.
Others have argued that they do not need certification since they only use the drones in their private properties. The problem has expanded so much that it will be a topic of conversation at this year’s annual Africa Drone Summit, where stakeholders in the commercial drone industry in Africa discuss trends and developments in the space.
A panel at this year’s event will discuss the issue of unauthorised drone operations and how their impact on the industry.