EMR awareness campaign

Despite clear opposition from the community, on Wednesday the 12th of November 2014, MTN began installation of a cell tower in Dalham Rd in the Constantia Rural area. The tower is situated some 22 meters from the bedroom of the nearest resident with children and less than 50 meters from the bedrooms of other neighbourhood children.

EMRSA is not against the sale of bandwidth nor are we against cell phone technology. We do not want to oppose the ability of business to function, provided that the construction of infrastructure in our own neighbourhood is approached in an inclusive manner and that our opinion is sought and heeded. As a community we feel that better alternatives, such as optic fibre landline based Internet, are available.

We also feel that such wired technologies ultimately have greater bandwidth potential than wireless and do not pose the same risks or cause the same concerns. We simply feel that as there is sufficient doubt amongst communities globally as to the safety and desirability of wireless technology, that no corporation or government should have the right to impose this technology on a residential community against their will.

Press Release: 25 Nov 2014 EMRSA Press Release 2014 11 25

Objection to Council Draft Policy: 31 Aug 2014 Draft TI Policy 2014 – Objection

Letter to government: May 2014 Open letter to Helen Zille

Extract: We call on you and the government to take measures to apply the Precautionary Principle.

In your 2014 Election Manifesto, you confirm that “communities should be involved in the decisions that affect them.”

It is critical that some action is taken now to prevent this ongoing degradation of people’s health and the environment. ICASA, the Departments of Health and Environmental Affairs have failed the South African public in this regard and ignored all reports that they have received. It is also your responsibility to ensure the well-being and safe development of our future generation.