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Clement Mukwasi Business Correspondent
THE use drones to take pictures and videos from the skies being done by some private tour operators in Victoria Falls has invited the fury of residents amid concerns that the gadgets may be used for espionage and invasion of privacy. A phantom 1 camera drone is a remote controlled 5kg American made quad copter that flies at a speed of 10 metres per second and can take pictures and videos while as far and as high as its controller can see it.
The Victoria Falls Combined Residents’ Association chairperson Morgan Dube said the gadgets should be taken off the Victoria Falls airspace urgently as they invaded privacy of unsuspecting residents and may be used for spying.
“Drones are a military technology which shouldn’t be taken at face value. They’re dangerous and undesirable in our skies. They can take pictures of our prisons, police stations and army camps without the authorities noticing. We don’t know where this footage is being taken to.
The Victoria Falls chairperson of the Business Against Crime Forum in Zimbabwe (BACFOZ) Yvonne Jundles said she was shocked to see the object last week flying near her home and approached the owner demanding it be grounded immediately.
“I was shocked to see the object flying near my home hovering above elephants and disturbing them with its irritating sound as they tried to feed,” she said.
Pilots who do Flight of Angels activity above the falls have also confirmed seeing these objects during their flights.
“How can you fly above a gadget that you can’t communicate with? It’s extremely dangerous and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe shouldn’t allow these objects into our obit,” said Ray Chitare, a pilot with the Zambezi Helicopter company.
However, some of the people who use the technology have said it was the best thing to ever happen to a place as environmentally sensitive as Victoria Falls.
Commenting on condition of anonymity, one operator said the machine is beehive quiet and preserves the wildlife and natural environment. “This is very good technology which should be embraced because it’s beehive quiet and one can have very good shots close to animals without frightening them. You can also fly it to as far as your eyes can see.
“One however has to comply with security regulations in order to avoid violations of the law. It can be used for anti-poaching,” he said.
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