About 80% of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the eThekwini municipality are not working, leaving the city “blind” to crime.
This has emerged as police collected data and footage after the murders of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, who were gunned down outside Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban last Friday.
Video footage from the restaurant has emerged and revealed vital information about the gunmen.
The city confirmed to the Sunday Times that only 108 out of the municipality's 495 cameras are working, which has been slammed by opposition parties and security experts.
Florida Road precinct manager Andrew Fynn said there is only one camera in the area and it is working.
City spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said they were aware many cameras are not working, decreasing visibility in some areas as the majority of cameras have “gone blind”.
Mayisela said CCTV was mainly used for the detection, management and investigation of crime, traffic and fire incidents and "public-realm" issues. This, he said, includes non-functioning street lights, illegal dumping, potholes, verges, pollution, and so on.
He said supporting infrastructure for cameras had been damaged during the April 2022 floods and that continuous theft and vandalism were also reasons many cameras are not working.
“To bring a street camera to life, you will require a pole, camera and equipment on site, electricity supply to the pole, fibreoptic cable from the pole to the closest municipality's fibreoptic junction point, networking to the control room, and storage/software,” Mayisela said.
He said various units in the municipality have started tender processes to address these issues. Once the letter of award for a tender is received, the municipality will attempt to bring CCTV cameras back to at least 95% operating, which has always been its standard, he added.
Sharmaine Sewshanker, a DA councillor in eThekwini, said: “We have been asking why they [cameras] are not fixed. This is a crime-fighting mechanism. From the control centre they can use the cameras to zoom in and alert the nearby response to be on the lookout. They can also follow a suspect from one place to another. But the sad reality is that the eye in the sky has gone blind.”
Mdu Nkosi, the IFP's eThekwini chair, said the city's claims that the cameras were damaged during the floods and have not been fixed were weak. “This is shocking. No wonder we find ourselves in a position where we have to beg people to come to the city. I do not believe that the floods are to blame for this,” he said.
Crime expert Johan Burger said it was critical for a large city like eThekwini to ensure that its cameras were operational.
“Cameras help in identifying the suspect either by their facial features, the type of car they are driving, and vehicle registration can help in speeding up the arrest,” Burger said.
He said research has proven that criminals operate most often in areas where they know there are no cameras or the cameras are not working.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.