Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi is happy to talk at length about his grand plan to use technology to fight crime in the province, but getting a breakdown on the costs involved proved an impossible task this week.
On Monday, Lesufi announced an ambitious R8bn plan to use drones, choppers, panic buttons and CCTV cameras to fight crime in the province.
Opposition parties have described it a “pipe dream” and challenged him in the legislature on Thursday during the debate of his speech to provide details of timelines and the cost implications of all the technology the province plans to use.
But Lesufi is unfazed by the criticism.
“I don’t worry about doomsayers and people saying it's just a pie in the sky. Even when I introduced paperless schools, people said the same,” he told the Sunday Times.
“I cannot be blamed for having a vision. This is not about elections; it is about what government can do. People can decide whether we’ve done well or not. Whatever is happening [in the private sector], we are just taking it to government.
"You go to Sandton, there are CCTV systems there. You go to Rosebank, there are panic buttons. It is already there — we are just migrating to government so that it can cover everyone.
“Those saying it is a pie in the sky, they must show me the pie because all these things are there. Fidelity and Tracker have helicopters. They have agreed to assist us with their helicopters and we are buying our own helicopters.
"There is no security company that does not have a drone; we are just buying ours to add to what is already there ... We are just broadening it. I enjoy this scepticism because it is easy to dismiss when the results are there,” he said.
Lesufi said critics should give his plan six months after May 1 before judging whether it's working.
But he could give no breakdown of the project's costs or the prices of drones, cars or any other tools it will need to be effectively executed.
Asked how much the vehicles cost the government, he simply replied: “It is a lot of money to buy those cars.”
He said 6,000 police wardens will hit the streets of Gauteng on May 1, using the 400 vehicles the province has already bought for its new force. The wardens have already been recruited from the public. Minimum requirements to join the police force were applied to set the standard and do the vetting.
You go to Sandton, there are CCTV systems there. You go to Rosebank, there are panic buttons. It is already there. We are just migrating to government so it can cover everyone
— Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi
Each ward in the province will have a vehicle with police wardens available 24 hours a day. The vehicles will be fitted with technology enabling them to pick up signal when someone presses a panic button.
These panic buttons will be available in different forms: as a feature on a smartphone, as a device which can be carried around like a keyholder, and through the CCTV system Lesufi plans to build across the province.
If a person is in danger, they will be able to go to the CCTV system, press a button and speak to someone about their problem immediately, Lesufi said.
Panic buttons have already been distributed to some residents in Diepsloot. From April 1, they will be expanded to the rest of the province.
Lesufi also wants to use hi-tech drones to support police and wardens fight crime. He said the target is to buy 180, with five already having been purchased.
The drones will be used in dangerous situations where people are heavily armed and to provide surveillance during protests.
Footage will go to the integrated command centre in Midrand. Pilots are being trained to fly the drones as they will need an aviation certificate for the job.
The drones will be in operation from April 1.
Gauteng has one of the highest crime rates in the country. In the latest quarterly crime statistics recently released by police minister Bheki Cele, the province recorded the highest number of contact crimes, with 50,039 cases reported between October and December 2022. Contact crimes include murder, attempted murder, sexual offences such as rape, assault and robbery.
Every gun that is illegal was once legal. We are starting first with our police, traffic cops and later on we will bring all gun owners who are willing to have their guns tracked
— Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi
Lesufi said he had secured an agreement with 10,000 security companies in the province to connect to their CCTV footage to help the government fight crime.
"Townships that don't have CCTV will have it installed. Provincial government will also use footage from SA National Roads Agency’s e-toll gantries.
“We will then migrate all those cameras to be monitored centrally. In communities such as Thembisa and other townships, we are starting to build a CCTV [network].
"Any camera that is available will be migrated to us. We want to monitor 85% of Gauteng,” Lesufi said.
Again, he could not give a breakdown on CCTV costs.
“The [total] budget is R8bn. It will be difficult to break down [into] individual budgets because you don’t know if they will put the camera in Tshabalala or Mshengu. It is only when they have installed them that we will have the actual figures.”
The R8bn has been allocated by the provincial treasury to the department of community safety. The department's previous budget was R750m.
Lesufi also wants to improve gun control in the province. He plans to install technology on firearms that will enable the provincial government to track them to show when and where they are being used. This move will be optional to gun owners.
“Every gun that is illegal was once legal. We are starting first with our police ... traffic cops and later on we will bring all gun owners who are willing to have their guns tracked. This technology is sophisticated. We doubt anyone will lay their hand on it,” he said.
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Lesufi also wants to introduce new vehicle registration plates which will reduce fake number plates and allow vehicles to be tracked.
The move has been gazetted for public comment and will be introduced later this year. Each motorist coming to renew their disc will have a new car registration.
“Cars are the common denominator in crime. The cars are either stolen or they are a getaway vehicle. Registrations are easily forged. Every car involved in a crime, when you check the number plate, it is false,” he said.
Two helicopters have been procured and four others will be purchased after April 1, and will be based at the Midrand command centre.
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