MTN to oppose Anti-Cell Mast Alliance in court

The eThekwini Municipality is set for a legal battle with a group of residents opposing the installation of cellphone masts in the city. According to a report in The Mercury, in a new twist in the David versus Goliath battle that has raged for two years, the city council and cellphone giant MTN have filed notices to oppose an application by a group of residents calling themselves the Durban Anti-Cell Mast Alliance (Dacma). The lobby group has filed a High Court application, asking the court to review what they said was a ‘secret deal’ entered into by the council and MTN in 2016. The eight applicants, all residents of eThekwini, argue in the court papers that the roll-out of the cell masts in the city was unprocedural and in contravention of the city’s by-laws and national legislation. ‘The research we have done has shown that this roll-out was completely unnecessary, as none of these masts increased cellular connectivity in areas where it was actually required,’ said Dacma spokesperson Niki Moore. MTN spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan said MTN continued to receive weekly updates on the progress of the authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority and on environmental impact assessments, which were submitted as part of the land use special consent application.