Crime in Pretoria CBD has been on the increase since 2019 due to faulty CCTV cameras, said MMC for Community Safety Hannes Coetzee.
Coetzee highlighted the alarming rise in crime in the inner-city after President Cyril Ramaphosa's proclamation ordering the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate a controversial 2014 CCTV tender.
The tender in question was awarded under the ANC administration in the City of Tshwane and it has been tainted with allegations of irregularities.
Coetzee said a total of R400 million was spent by the City into the tender, but more than 319 of the installed cameras have not functioned since 2019.
“Crime in the Pretoria CBD has increased by 30%, which is a concern for development for service delivery,” he said.
In 2018, the ANC in Tshwane expressed concern that 319 cameras covering places such as Marabastad, CBD, Arcadia, Sunnyside, Hatfield, Brooklyn, Waterkloof, Groenkloof, Muckleneuck, Garsfontein, Menlyn area, Centurion, Lynwood and Mooikloof were non-operational.
At the time, the party accused the DA-led administration under former mayor Solly Msimanga of being incompetent by allowing cameras to go unmonitored after the City failed to renew its contract with the service provider.
In 2019 another former DA Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa promised to fix the cameras in six months, but that never materialised.
That was after it emerged during a community meeting at Salvakop that police’s efforts to fight crime were hampered by the non-operational surveillance cameras.
Coetzee welcomed the SIU proclamation, saying that the 2014 CCTV tender did little to reduce crime in Tshwane.
He said the SIU investigation covers the period of January 1, 2014 to November 8, 2024.
“Proclamation 212 authorises the SIU to investigate allegations of maladministration in the procurement or contracting of goods, work or services by or on behalf of the municipality under the tender for upgrading and extension of macro surveillance CCTV systems in Tshwane,” he said.
He said the investigation will zoom into the payments and establish whether the contracting and procurement were conducted in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable or cost-effective.
“The SIU will also probe whether there was any contravention of municipal legislation, wasteful and fruitless expenditure or any losses incurred by the municipality. This proclamation should instil a sense of assurance with the public that corruption will not be tolerated,” Coetzee said.
Pretoria News