Kill me first before taking my drone - Hunter
INSISTS: “No one can take this one from me. Even if they come with a court order. If they insist, something will have to give. You must understand that I bought this drone for a specific purpose.” he said.
MBABANE – Private Investigator Hunter Shongwe has purchased a new drone after his initial one was confiscated by the State.
Currently, the Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority ( ESWACAA) issued an statement suspending the use of drones as a security measure amid the political urest.
In 2013, Shongwe was accused of violating aviation laws by using a drone without valid certification. However, he said the case had not been concluded in court, and he has not had his drone back. According to the 2009 Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority ( SWACAA) Act, all people who need to fly an aircraft for whatever purpose are supposed to obtain a licence
from ESWACAA. This law prohibits the flying of any object above 150 metres without a licence.
He said he had since purchased a new drone from the United States of America because it was a necessary tool for his line of work.
Shongwe described his drone as a DJI FPV, saying it’s good for taking pictures.
“It is registered with the FAA international law for drones. It can fly 20 kilometres away, with a speed of 100 kilometres per hour. It flies 1 000 metres high,” he said. Shongwe said his drone is here to stay as he has been trained how to use it and to avoid flying it above people’s houses and Royal Residences.
INSIST
“No one can take this one from me. Even if they come with a court order. If they insist, something will have to give. You must understand that I bought this drone for a specific purpose.” he said. The PI said the new drone cost him E55 000.
“My drone will not be taken by anyone. Whoever will come to me will have to kill me first before taking my drone,” he said.
He said he was fully licensed as a journalist and that his PI licence stipulates that he can do the work of gation.
“This means I have a right to take a photo. The means I use to take such a photo is up to me. Whether I want to I can use a flying object or one that is stationary,” he said.
Shongwe said police charged him using an aviation law for using a drone. “But the aviation law should not have authority over the law of drones, but aircrafts. The judge was expected to issue a judgment specifying the law that I violated. There was no regulation in law prohibiting the use of a drone in Eswatini,” he said. He said he did not make any attempt to reclaim his drone back because he felt he was denied justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. It is taking this long because the law that was used in charging me was not applicable,” he said.
Shongwe said he was educated in the use of a drone, such that he knows that he should not invade people’s privacy in their homes. He said he was skilled by experts overseas.