‘Tshwane CBD CCV cameras don’t work’

CCTV security cameras in the Pretoria city centre have come under the spotlight again, following the recent alleged abduction of a 22-year-old Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student by a group of men in a red car.

Jessie Buhle Myanga was reportedly kidnapped somewhere between Sammy Marks Square and Thabo Sehume Street on Friday.

Buhle was found safe, but “drugged”, in Centurion two days later.

“If the cameras in the CBD were in working order, police would maybe have picked up this car that goes around the city kidnapping young girls,” said the kidnapped girl’s father, Mandla. “The city centre is not safe.”

A source told Pretoria East Rekord the cameras monitoring crime in the CBD had allegedly been shut down in August after a contract between the Tshwane metro and Morubisi Technologies expired.

“The control room is empty,” the anonymous source claimed. “Nobody is monitoring the cameras. Morubisi also owes employees a month and a half’s salary. Due to the shutdown of the control room, the community is no longer safe. People in the city centre are being mugged, pick-pocketed and stabbed because of this problem.”

The source alleged the control room was empty “almost 24/7”.

Morubisi Technologies director Fana Moraka confirmed that their contract with the metro had lapsed.

“It lapsed six months ago. The city renewed it monthly until it was finally terminated in August.”

Safety and security MMC Karen Meyer said that the CCTV cameras were fully operational.

“The operations room is operational and being operated by the Tshwane Metro Police Department,” she said.

She admitted that the control room was “short-staffed” on the day of Pretoria East Rekord’s visit, but said they could manage with the team deployed.

“The contract with the service provider has lapsed. This is normal as it happens from time to time in government procurement processes.

“The metro is exploring various options to not only maintain and upgrade its existing CCTV infrastructure in the inner city, but also expand the footprint of its coverage to the greater Tshwane areas,” she said. – Caxton News Service