A recent report by the Mexican Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice ranked the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro as the most dangerous city in South Africa, and the ninth most dangerous in the world.
In addition to this, in the third-quarter crime statistics for the 2023/24 financial year, the South African Police Service revealed that at least three police stations namely, New Brighton, Motherwell, and KwaZakhele, were ranked in the top 30 for the highest murder rate in the country.
These concerning reports reveal the importance of surveillance cameras to fight crime in the metro; however, Gustav Rautenbach, DA spokesperson for safety and security for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, said the lack of surveillance cameras in the metro has had a massive effect on the ability of the police to fight crime in NMB.
“Surveillance cameras are crucial in fighting crime. The state of lawlessness in the metro can be a result of the fact that criminals know the police are unable to witness criminal acts committed in the city,” said Rautenbach.
During a recent site visit to the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) control room, allegedly located at the South End Fire Station, he said he discovered that the 250 CCTV cameras that were bought by the municipality were locked up in containers and were non-operational.
Rautenbach alleges that the cameras were bought for R36.5 million.
He said the control room used to be a hub of activity, with the Metro Security Service, Traffic Service, Metro Police Service, and the South African Police Service working together to fight crime.
Rautenbach said further investigation revealed that 40 poles that are to be used for the mounting of the CCTV cameras are being stored in the open air at the Sidwell Traffic Department, while the whereabouts of the outstanding 210 poles are unknown.
“To date, not a single camera has been installed, putting not only the lives of residents at risk, but also leaving metro infrastructure vulnerable to vandals,” said Rautenbach.
He said a further contributory factor to the high crime in the city is that the crime-fighting Mobile Surveillance Vehicle, purchased by the metro in 2010 for R6 million, has also been non-operational for a few years.
Rautenbach said this vehicle was previously used with great success in fighting crime in the metro.
“The metro has a role to play in ensuring the safety of all our residents, but is failing miserably,” he said. “The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is under siege.”
Rautenbach further said that the surveillance cameras and the Mobile Surveillance Vehicle form part of the municipality’s Safer City Project which would have seen R30 million invested in surveillance equipment.
Unfortunately, he said the municipality failed to implement the project.
“If the municipality can get the surveillance cameras and Mobile Surveillance Vehicle operating, then we will be one step closer to getting the Safer City Project moving in the right direction,” said Rautenbach.
To prompt the municipality to implement the Safer City Project and work towards improving safety and security in the metro, he plans to table a motion at the next Safety and Security Committee meeting, on July 11.
At the meeting, Rautenbach plans to highlight the following action points:
- Emergency procurement for surveillance equipment be implemented immediately
- Ensure the CCTV control room is operational with well-trained and dedicated staff to monitor the screens
- Ensure CCTV cameras be rolled out in the entire metro
- Establish a 24-hour special response unit, attached to the CCTV control room
- Immediately repair the Mobile Surveillance Vehicle.
Stag Mitchell, MMC for Safety and Security, said the camera attached to the Mobile Surveillance Vehicle needs to be repaired.
He said since the camera was manufactured in Germany, they are currently searching for a local service provider to repair the camera.
“This is the most important vehicle in South Africa, and we have a budget of R1.5 million for the repair of the camera,” said Mitchell.
He further confirmed that there are cables and cameras stored in containers at the South End Fire Station, and that this equipment will be repaired and installed at a cost of R10 million.
“A portion of the R10 million will be used for the installation of the cameras, while the rest of the funds will be used for maintenance. There is currently no time frame for the completion of the installation,” said Mitchell.
He further said that the control room for the monitoring of the CCTV cameras is not up to standard and needs to be upgraded.
Mitchell said the CCTV cameras and control rooms form part of the Safer City Project.
Further elaborating on the Safer City Project, he said the project forms part of the municipality’s plans for a Smart City with a focus on improved safety and security.
Mitchell said the Safer City Project has not yet been established, and is still in the early stages of establishment.
“The municipality is working on the resubmission of the Safer City Project and on the specification for a tender, which can be a tedious process,” said Mitchell.
