A legal expert warns that the misuse of drones can result in criminal prosecution, coupled with heavy penalties.
Police warnings ahead of this year’s Comrades Marathon, along with increasing neighbourhood incidents, are revealing widespread breaches of aviation and privacy law.
This is according to Cor van Deventer, director at Van Deventer Dowlath and Marx Incorporated, who says the public warning by the police that the entire 86km Comrades Marathon route was a “no-fly zone” and that unauthorised drones would be “taken down operationally”, highlighted concerns around the country’s illegal drone activity.
Ahead of the race, the SAPS announced that unauthorised drones would be shot down and later stated that “counterintelligence measures” would be used to disable them.
The Comrades Marathon Association issued its own notice reinforcing the ban, citing aviation law, safety concerns, and the risk of interference with emergency operations.
