The North West Province`s Southern District Municipality will install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Klerksdorp`s central business district in a bid to make the area safer.
Executive mayor Boitumelo Moloi told government media agency BuaNews the fight against crime is a national priority for government, and municipalities have a critical role to play in ensuring it is dealt with.
"The creation of a safe and healthy environment is one of the principal objectives of local government, as enshrined in the Constitution of SA. As municipalities, we can not say fighting crime is the business of the police and national government," said Moloi.
The municipality plans to spend R9.1 million on the cameras this year, up from R7.6 million last year. Next year`s budget stands at R10 million.
The current CCTV surveillance system has been operating for two years. It was initially installed and operated from the offices of the Klerksdorp fire department, but was recently relocated.
The municipality has appointed Morubisi Technologies to install the surveillance cameras, which will be monitored with the police around the clock.
Speaking about the advantages of using a CCTV surveillance system, Moloi said it has been proven that it could fight crime effectively.
"It helps in a holistic way to detect and respond to a wide range of public safety and infrastructure problems encountered by local municipalities," she added.
Rachael Mochela, CEO of Morubisi Technology, says the project started with only 14 cameras; there are now 26.
The project has been extended to nearby Potchefstroom, with 12 cameras already in operation. The system in Potchefstroom took the wireless route as opposed to the analogue technology now used in Klerksdorp.
Morubisi Technology is also involved in a similar project in Pretoria. Its Web site notes it has a 40% share in Cueincident-Morubisi Operations, which has a five-year multimillion-rand contract to provide a surveillance technology system to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
Cueincident until recently ran the City of Johannesburg`s CCTV network.
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