NEWS
The heart of
Hartbeesfontein
Take the step in
2019 to safeguard
your environment
Any city or town has a heartbeat, and
at Hartbeesfontein one of the pulses is
Hartbeesfontein Safety.
By Aubrey Kruger
Senwes Scenario Editor
T
his is very evident in the well-equipped control
room awaiting me, after they most definitely saw
me approaching on the R507 and R503, as per
our appointment on the specific day.
The chairman of the Hartbeesfontein Agricultural Union,
Jaco Maré, says that safety is high on their agenda. Their
commando was integrated into the commanding group in
2004. It consisted of Johan Lemmer, Frik Lemmer, Jaco
Maré, André Kilian, Jan Meiring and Carlos da Silva.
One of the most important mind shifts was to learn
from one of the leaders in the field of safety, Smithfield
Farmers' Union, after which they decided to establish
their own control room. This was followed by switch tow-
ers which were erected at various places in 2016. The
first seven was in 2016 as part of phase 1, followed by
another seven in phase two and after phase three there
were 22 towers. Sixteen of the towers are supplied with
direct power and six are equipped with solar panels and
batteries.
CAMERAS AND SWITCH TOWERS
Some of the 22 cameras and switch towers were erected
on top of Senwes silos, namely Werda Silo, Melliodora
Silo and Hartbeesfontein Silo. Two cameras were mount-
ed on existing towers on the farms of two producers and
they wish to thank them for their generosity.
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SENWES SCENARIO | MIND-SHIFT 2019
André Roux in the control room, where
seven screens are used to check the
area within a 40km radius.
OBJECTIVE IN ACTION
When they take action, the objective is to ren-
der first aid when necessary, block off the area
and safeguard it. Their objective is to combat
farm attacks, robberies and to assist the police
service within the parameters of the law. Jaco's
advice is to implement contingency plans and
to ensure good and effective co-operation with
the SAPS, neighbourhood watches, etcetera.
They also hold regular strategic planning ses-
sions and put up road blocks to ensure visibili
ty, they hold discussions with the VIS and with
Northwest Agri and Agri SA, who are well-dis-
posed towards them.
COSTS AND PERSONNEL
Such a system could cost millions, with monthly
costs running into thousands of rand. Although a
lot of donations are received, a large portion of
the costs have to be borne by the organisation.
Hartbeesfontein Safety has five members of
staff, who change shifts on an 8-hourly basis.