Thembisa Shologu
As part of reclaiming the once beautiful and crime free Johannesburg CBD, the Gauteng Provincial Government launched CCTV cameras in Small Street to enhance public safety and law enforcement.
The launch is part of the provincial government’s interventions in the fight against crime and lawlessness through various tactics using technology including deploying CCTV cameras, drones and e-Panic Buttons.
Speaking at the launch at the Command Centre in Joburg on Tuesday, MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and e-Government, Research and Development, Mzi Khumalo said the cameras were meant to reduce crime and enhance public safety for residents, businesses, and visitors.
“We were concerned as executive council that Small Street is not the Small Street of yester years that we know. We want to bring it back and we concluded that part of the problem there is crime.
“It is important to indicate that this is part of our urban regeneration project particularly as it relates to the areas such as Small Street. So, when the decision around the CCTV cameras came into being we thought that we should prioritise Smal Street,” explained MEC Khumalo.
In February 2024, the GPG announced its partnership with Vumacam, gaining immediate access to its extensive network of over 6,000 cameras in Gauteng.
The partnership will also see the expansion of camera coverage to underserved areas, particularly within townships, informal settlements, and hostel (TISH), business districts, areas with high crime spots, roads, schools, and other public places.
“We have targeted the TISH areas where police deem to be hotspots and when we follow-up on those hotspots with the aim of putting up these cameras, we have realised that the challenge we are faced with is that there is no electricity in some of those areas.
“And one of the interventions we came up with is that we are putting up solar panels. We have been doing that in Diepsloot and Tembisa as part of the interventions,” said Khumalo.
Since April 2023, over 150 cameras have been installed across the province, including Small Street, notoriously known for muggings and robberies.
Chief Provincial Inspector, Ezra Nhlapho said the installation of cameras in the Joburg CBD was not the only intervention but also the deployment of the Gauteng Traffic wardens to strengthen safety.
“We do not have cameras only operating in Small Street, we have the deployment of Gauteng Traffic Wardens that are on the streets with South African Police Service (SAPS) to give backup to the people deployed around the city centre.
“As the command centre if we notice something in the city centre from the system, we have got a map which is monitoring where it can tell us exactly where the crime is happening because we are using the “Push to Talk (PTT). If we cannot pick up where the incident is happening, the person nearest to the incident is called immediately so that the person is able to check it out,” said Nhlapho.
Department of Community Safety HOD, Nontsikelelo Sisulu said the response time to an incident was anything between 5-10 minutes at the very most “depending on who is the closest.”
MEC Khumalo conducted a walkabout along the Small Street thereafter where the cameras are placed.
“When walking in Small Street, people should be able to carry their cellphones without any fear and we think we will reach that point,” concluded MEC Khumalo.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
