CAPE TOWN - Jacob Mamabolo, the MEC of the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development has announced that he will be launching the province’s first drone programme on Monday 21 May 2018.
According to the department, it said that they would use drones in construction since early January this year and have achieved successful results for the project.
TimesLive reported that the department will use the ‘Lutsinga nerve centre’ to analyse live project management data, and use technology to drive efficiency.
Mamabolo is expected to showcase and demonstrate the capabilities and benefits of deploying a drone as part of monitoring the construction of built projects such as schools, clinics, hospitals and libraries, reported TimesLive.
Last week, Mamabolo said that the department will embark on 340 projects valued at R4.5 billion over the next three years, with R1.7 billion being allocated for the 2018/19 financial year to build schools‚ clinics‚ community centres and other public facilities.
“It is for this particular reason that we have introduced the use of drones to monitor and conduct oversight on construction site performance‚ thus reconciling reported data by our officials and real life situation on the ground. We have been piloting the use of drones since early January this year. We are pleased with the results‚” Mamabolo told TimesLive.
earlier in the year, The Democratic Alliance urged Gauteng premier David Makhura and infrastructure development MEC Jacob Mamabolo to act against lawlessness and criminality in infrastructure development projects.
The DA was concerned that at least 21 infrastructure development projects had been disrupted by so-called "business forums" seeking to enrich themselves on projects, DA Gauteng MPL Alan Fuchs said on Sunday.
The infrastructure development department (DID) had preferential procurement regulations in place that set out exactly how tenders and sub-contractors were appointed, he said.