KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders chairperson Inkosi Sifiso Shinga has hailed the agreement between the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) and Vodacom to build cellular towers in the areas that fall under traditional leaders.
The landmark agreement, to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas of the province, was signed recently with Vodacom represented by Gerard Naidoo, executive head of Property Estate Management at MAST, a property wing of Vodacom and Advocate Linda Zama, deputy chairperson of the ITB.
Shinga said the rolling out of the project had been long overdue because Amakhosi (traditional leaders) have long complained about the network problem in their respective areas. He said people had struggled to get emergency services because of the network, adding that the agreement was much appreciated.
“We warmly welcome the agreement. In fact it has been long overdue and we are hoping the roll out will begin without delay,” said Shinga.
In a statement released by the board, it said the strategic partnership aims to bridge the digital divide in rural KwaZulu-Natal by rolling out cellular towers on Ingonyama Trust land. It said as the legal landowner of trust land in the province, the board is committed to empowering traditional council areas through enhanced digital infrastructure.
The Trust stated that this initiative will significantly boost connectivity in communities that have historically been underserved, enabling broader access to wireless internet and digital services.
"This is a landmark agreement because it helps communities on traditional land to have reliable cellular telephone infrastructure. This will allow us to communicate effectively with each other, give school learners an opportunity to complete their studies, and enhance businesses through this initiative, read the statement.
In addition, the Trust said the agreement will also benefit schools as the initiatives will also see the installation of WiFi in rural schools.
The roll out will also bring economic benefits as the rental income from tower installations will be given to traditional councils.