South African security companies will have six months to make sure they have all the right training and paperwork in place to use drones in their work, under a new plan. After that, they will face censure from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), which will have the power to determine how they use such drones, and how they may advertise security services using drones.
Police minister Bheki Cele gazetted the first pages – but not all of – what will formally be known as the regulations relating to the use of remotely piloted aircraft system [sic] in the private security industry, for a four-week period of public comment.
Once the draft regulations are adopted, however, those security companies will answer to PSIRA on their use of drones, down to notifying that regulator if a drone operation is responsible for injury or death.
The draft regulations require anyone who uses a drone for security work to register with PSIRA, as would a company that offers armed-response services. Drone operators must complete standard, low-level training for security guards. There is no provision for a drone company to, say, offer homeowners a surveillance solution without getting into the security business itself.
The rules also require security companies to have drone pilots who are commercially certified, explicitly banning the use of provisions that apply to private or recreational drone users. PSIRA is due to keep a register of all security companies using drones, and will be able to issue guidelines on exactly how they may be used. Once the regulations are in force, operators will have a six-month window to comply, unless they apply for a special exemption well before that deadline
