Garden & Home TeamReagen Allen, Western Cape minister of police oversight and community safety, handed over a drone to the South African National Parks (SANParks) on Friday for use on Table Mountain. This follows the recent delivery of drones to the Cape Winelands, Overberg, Garden Route and West Coast District municipalities.
‘As the Western Cape Government (WCG), we are committed to empowering our partners and stakeholders, to assist them with their crime fighting efforts and bolster their disaster management capabilities,’ said Allen ‘This technology will allow SANParks to have greater reach, with an additional ‘eye in the sky’ over our mountain, slopes and hiking trails.’
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The drone, which costs around R 18 000, has a handheld controller, an onboard camera, a visual screen, and the ability to record.
The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China donated the drones to the Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS) in order to strengthen crime-fighting efforts throughout the province.
‘Partnerships are key to the successful fight against crime in Table Mountain National Park and the donation of a drone by the Western Cape Government is one such key partnership where we can combine our resources to prevent and tackle criminal activities,’ said SANParks Manager Megan Taplin. ‘The drone will also assist us with aerial surveillance and help our rangers during search and rescue operations.’
Allen added that creating safer spaces across the province remains a priority of the WCG. ‘We will continue to incorporate and utilise technology in our war on crime. I am also looking forward to handing over a drone to the Central Karoo district municipality, in due course.’
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Feature image: Supplied
Article originally written and compiled by Murray Swart for Cape ETC.
