Vandals and thieves are increasingly targeting Gauteng’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) network that cost the province R124 million.
This is according to Bonginkosi Dhlamini, Gauteng MEC for e-Government, who is appealing to residents across the province to refrain from vandalising government infrastructure and to actively assist government in protecting assets that have been deployed to improve public safety and service delivery.
The appeal follows growing concerns over incidents of vandalism, theft and damage to CCTV cameras installed by the Gauteng Provincial Government as part of its e-policing programme.
Dhlamini notes that several cameras have been rendered non-operational due to criminal activities targeting public infrastructure, negatively affecting efforts to strengthen crime prevention and law enforcement capabilities across the province.
He says the provincial government has made significant investments in smart policing technologies aimed at creating safer communities, improving emergency response times and providing law enforcement agencies with critical tools to combat crime.
Through the e-policing programme, CCTV cameras assist authorities in monitoring crime hotspots, tracking criminal activities, gathering evidence for investigations and supporting coordinated responses to incidents.
The vandalism and theft of these assets not only result in costly repairs and replacements but also compromise the effectiveness of public safety interventions designed to protect residents and businesses, says Dhlamini.
The appeal comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) raised concern over the functionality of the CCTV camera network.
Last month, 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.
At the time, the provincial government revealed that 89 CCTV sites were currently non-functional and these failed sites affect 269 cameras.
In a statement today, Dhlamini says the destruction of public infrastructure undermines government's efforts to build safer and smarter communities, and diverts resources that could otherwise be used to expand services and improve infrastructure across the province.
“The Gauteng Provincial Government has invested heavily in public infrastructure to improve public safety and service delivery across the province. When public assets such as CCTV cameras are vandalised or stolen, it not only undermines our efforts to create safer environments for residents but also diverts valuable resources that could have been used to expand services and invest in additional infrastructure,” he says.
The MEC further emphasises that public infrastructure belongs to all residents and should be protected as a shared community asset.
“Government infrastructure is funded through public resources and is installed for the benefit of our communities. We therefore call on residents, community organisations, businesses and all stakeholders to work with government in protecting these assets. By safeguarding public infrastructure, we are safeguarding our own safety, security and future development.”
He also encouraged residents to report incidents of vandalism, theft and suspicious activities around government infrastructure to the South African Police Service and other relevant authorities.
Share
