Chances of avoiding a ticket fine with a R100 “cooldrink” may soon be a thing of the past as Buffalo City metro’s law enforcement officers are set to be equipped with body-worn cameras that ensure interactions with motorists are recorded.
The move is part of the municipality’s plan to make the city safer. Introducing body surveillance cameras tracks a global trend.
The rollout of the cameras will be in stages, with the first phase set to start before the end of January.
This was confirmed by BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya, who on Friday said the pilot phase would start with 50 body cameras.They will be divided among the three regions in the metro.
“Ultimately the goal is for all officers to have these body cams,” he said. Each unit is expected to cost taxpayers R10,504.60. Ngwenya said they could not disclose the whole amount for security reasons.
In 2023, the city of Cape Town invested R860m into safety technology, equipping 800 officers, including traffic police, with bodycams and installing 290 dashboard-mounted cameras, or dashcams, in vehicles.
The package included the introduction of in-vehicle cameras with automated number plate (ANPR) technology, a first for SA.
Following the trend, BCM put out a tender for the supply and delivery of 35 bodycams for traffic officers in March 2024 for its own pilot project.
“We are trying to maintain a safe society by using technology to assist in curbing crime and also ensuring that our members are protected at all times,” Ngwenya said.
Reasons given by the city’s law enforcement department for the procurement of the body cams include:
- To increasethe safety of both law enforcement officers and the public;
- To improve public trust in officers and relations between officers and the public;
- To enforce officer accountability;
- To discourage bribery and corruption; and
- To enhance transparency.
Ngwenya said the footage could be used as evidence in a court of law.
This is the city’s first major technology initiative to its fleet after a former mayor, the late Alfred Mtsi, introduced the automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) mobile bus 10 years ago.
The ANPR system reads number plates and instantly brings up all the traffic fines associated with the vehiclecollected by the owner or the driver of the car.
The facility allows for a summons to be printed and paid via a speedpoint on site.
During the previous festive period, a total of R363,650 was collected in outstanding fines during roadblocks with the ANPR bus.
About 130 drunken drivers were arrested, with 1,648 summonses issued to offenders.
The DA party leader in BCM, Sue Bentley, said despite the new initiative, the servicing of traffic vehicles still remained a concern.
“While we commend any action to enhance the effectiveness of our traffic officers, body cameras included.“However, we do know that there are major issues with so many traffic services vehicles not being used due to maintenance and servicing issues,” she said.
“With limited finances available to traffic services, perhaps the money to be spent on procuring body cameras for the officers would be better spent on getting more vehicles back on the road for increased visibility.”
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has thrown its weight behind the plan, with regional secretary Thando Poni saying the union believed the initiative would help tackle allegations of fraud and corruption, while also protecting its members from false accusations.
Poni expressed concern over a number of videos circulating on social media, showing officers involved in questionable actions, often with only public evidence to support the claims.
“We view it as an add-on in ensuring the safety of our members during their operations,” he said.
“These devices will assist in sending quick responses for a backup.
“They will also create a record of the events before the matter gets to a level of physical assault.
“Motorists will also find comfort as they will be assured that, if there are accusations of any kind, they may request that data to be made public.”
Red Alert’s Brett Harvey said the introduction of body cams was a great initiative.
“A lot of our officers already wear body cameras.“They can be extremely useful tools, especially when it comes to investigating a situation that has occurred.
“They also prove invaluable for protecting not only the law enforcement officer, but the public as well.”
The Road Traffic Management Corporation’s Simon Zwane, speaking on BCM’s proposed plans, said: “We support the initiative and encourage others agencies to consider implementing it as well, if their resources permit.”
EFF councillor Mziyanda Hlekiso has given a cautious thumbs-up to the plan.
He believes the move will help tackle bribery and corruption, as well as boost revenue through fines.However, it should not be at the expense of the city’s crumbling infrastructure must be prioritised. “Our roads are in shambles,” Hlekiso said.
“We need to fix and maintain them before we start doling out cameras to officers.”
UDM councillor Anele Skoti said his party did not support the initiative, citing concerns over potential corruption and mismanagement of funds.
Instead, Skoti said, the metro should prioritise service delivery and address issues such as potholes, sewage and maintenance of sports facilities.
“The metro should focus on delivering services to the people before considering the body-worn cameras,” he said.
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