MTN ready to fight vandals in Eastern Cape – Hypertext

• MTN is working with the Eastern Cape Provincial Police Board and Eastern Cape Community Police Forum to fight vandalism in the province.
• MTN will be contributing resources to these groups to assist in the fight against crime.
• The telco launched a similar initiative in Gauteng in 2023 that lead to a 33 percent reduction in crime involving its infrastructure.

Over the last six months, MTN’s infrastructure has been the target of 71 vandalism incidents on average in the Eastern Cape. This includes the theft of batteries and cables.

To address this growing problem, MTN has announced a strategic partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Police Board and Eastern Cape Community Police Forum. This partnership will seek to protect critical infrastructure from vandalism and theft.

“These criminal activities not only disrupt the communities we proudly serve but also deny them vital access to connectivity, impacting their work, their safety, and their ability to stay connected with loved ones. This has profound and lasting consequences on their lives and livelihoods. By standing united with law enforcement in this region, we are not merely protecting our network—we are safeguarding the well-being of our communities and investing in the future of our nation,” chief executive officer of MTN South Africa, Charles Molapisi said in a statement.

The initiative will see the Eastern Cape SAPS and community policing forum deploying personnel to monitor infrastructure sites and respond to security alerts about breaches. This is particularly important in high-risk areas that include Mthatha and Queenstown.

To strengthen crime detection and response capabilities, Mobile Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras will be installed on selected SAPS patrol vehicles. This strategic deployment aims to enhance law enforcement’s ability to swiftly identify and respond to criminal activity.

MTN will also aim to improve the skills of SAPS and CPF members by giving them resources, technology, and operational support, as well as putting intelligence-driven plans into action to stop criminal activities that target MTN infrastructure. In addition, outreach programs will be used to educate people in the area about the effects of vandalising public property and encourage active participation in crime prevention.

Part of this includes donating laptops, computers, printers, PSUs and connectivity to the Mthatha SAPS Joint Operations Centre. CPF patrollers will be given uniforms, panic buttons and two-way radios to help them in their guarding duties.

“This partnership is anticipated to significantly reduce crime that targets mobile network infrastructure while prioritising the development of safer communities and strengthening relationships between law enforcement agencies and corporate stakeholders,” Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said in a statement.

MTN embarked on a similar initiative in Gauteng in 2023 and it managed to reduce crime against its infrastructure by a third with help from the Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board.

“There is nothing more important than the fight against crime in our country and by creating thriving partnerships, we are making moves in driving shared value across the communities in which we operate with the goal of ensuring the people of South Africa enjoy the full benefits of a modern, connected life,” adds Molapisi.