The Gauteng Provincial Government is at odds with the Democratic Alliance (DA) over the functionality of the R124 million closed circuit television (CCTV) camera network installed across the province.
The CCTV cameras form part of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s broader strategy to use technology to combat crime. The cameras are being deployed in townships, business districts, crime hotspots, along major roads, at schools and in other public spaces across the province.
The rollout is being implemented in partnership with private sector players, such as Vumacam, as part of a broader collaborative approach to strengthening public safety and expanding smart policing capabilities across Gauteng.
This week, Michael Waters, DA Gauteng spokesperson for e-government, issued a statement saying the provincial government has spent more than R124 million installing CCTV cameras, yet approximately 28% of the CCTV network does not work.
“This puts our residents’ lives in danger as law enforcement officers will be unable to effectively combat crime and improve public safety,” he says.
The DA is, therefore, calling on the Gauteng MEC for e-government Bonginkosi Dhlamini, to urgently restore all non-functional CCTV sites, explain why so many cameras failed, strengthen protection and maintenance systems, and ensure value for money for taxpayers, Waters notes.
In a written reply to questions posed by the DA to Dhlamini in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, it was revealed that 960 CCTV cameras have been installed across Gauteng and that R124 505 478 has already been spent on this project.
The MEC also indicated that 89 CCTV sites are currently non-functional and these failed sites affect 269 cameras.
“This means that more than one in every four CCTV cameras installed by the Gauteng government is currently compromised,” Waters notes.
“This comes at a time when residents are in dire need of crime prevention measures. This province cannot afford a CCTV system where such a significant portion of the network is offline.”
Reasons for failure
According to the MEC, the cameras are not working due to water-damaged batteries, vandalism and faulty inverters.
“This raises concerns regarding maintenance planning, infrastructure protection, resilience of the system and whether sufficient preventive measures were implemented from the outset. Crime does not stop because government cameras are offline,” Waters adds.
“In addition, the department admitted that maintenance costs have already exceed R5.1 million and the annual maintenance costs are projected to range between R12 million and R15 million going forward. Gauteng residents deserve a CCTV system that works; not expensive infrastructure left vulnerable to weather damage, vandalism and technical failures.
“The DA Gauteng supports the expansion of technology-driven crime prevention initiatives, but taxpayers cannot continue paying hundreds of millions of rand for systems that are not properly maintained and protected.”
The Gauteng Provincial Government has defended its provincial CCTV rollout programme, describing it as one of the province’s most significant technology-driven crime prevention initiatives, aimed at supporting law enforcement agencies and improving community safety.
In a statement issued in response to criticism from the DA, the provincial government said the CCTV network forms part of a broader strategy to utilise smart policing and integrated technology systems in the fight against crime across Gauteng.
The provincial government confirmed that to date, 960 CCTV cameras have been installed in strategic areas across Gauteng as part of government’s broader commitment to building safer communities through smart policing and integrated technology systems.
“The overwhelming majority of these cameras remain operational and continue to assist law enforcement authorities with surveillance, monitoring, investigations and rapid response interventions,” it says.
“Importantly, the Gauteng Department of e-Government has already instituted corrective measures to restore affected sites and strengthen the resilience of the system.”
Misleading claims
It stresses that maintenance teams are actively attending to non-functional sites, while additional interventions are being implemented to improve infrastructure protection, battery durability and system reliability.
“The Democratic Alliance deliberately creates the impression that government has abandoned the system, which is simply not true. Continuous maintenance and upgrades form part of the operational lifecycle of any large-scale technology infrastructure project, including networks.
“It is also misleading for the DA to suggest the existence of maintenance costs are evidence of failure. Every sophisticated surveillance and security network globally requires ongoing maintenance, software support, equipment replacement and infrastructure protection. The projected maintenance budget reflects responsible planning to ensure long-term sustainability and uninterrupted operation of the system.”
The Gauteng Provincial Government states it remains committed to ensuring value for money for taxpayers, while strengthening crime prevention capabilities throughout the province.
It adds that the CCTV programme continues to provide critical support to law enforcement agencies and contributes significantly to efforts aimed at reducing criminal activity and improving public safety.
“Rather than exploiting operational challenges for narrow political gain, all stakeholders should support initiatives aimed at making Gauteng safer for all residents.
“The Gauteng Provincial Government will continue working with law enforcement agencies, municipalities and community stakeholders to enhance surveillance capabilities, improve system performance and ensure the province remains at the forefront of smart policing innovations in South Africa,” it says.
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