INLSA

A city CCTV camera.

BRONWYNNE JOOSTE

Metro Writer

CAPE Town’s surveillance camera network is set to receive a R3 million boost, expanding along Main Road in Rondebosch and Mowbray, and including UCT, which was rocked a few years ago when students and two staff members were murdered in the area.

This means that there will be an unbroken network of cameras from the city centre to Wynberg.

Yesterday. the city’s mayoral committee recommended the approval of R2m from UCT and brewer SAB Miller for the cameras. Each indicated it would contribute R1m.

The city said it would add another R1m to the project.

This will fund 14 cameras along Main Road from Rondebosch to Mowbray.

There are 600 cameras in the city-wide network. Of these, 200 are part of the Freeway Management system and another 100 monitor parts of the Integrated Rapid Transit system.

JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said UCT and SAB had approached the city following a spate of crimes involving students and academics.

Two years ago, UCT medical student Benny Pakisa Moqobane was killed in a drive-by shooting in Observatory. That same year, student Dominic Giddy was stabbed to death.

In 2006, Professor Mike Larkin was stabbed in Rondebosch. And in 2008, Kevin Richford, an associate professor of science education, was shot in front of his Little Mowbray home.

Smith said the city had been discussing how to expand the roll-out of the cameras to the southern suburbs when the university requested that its area be included.

The safety and security department and the city’s transport directorate will contribute the R1m.

This recommendation will now go to the full council for approval.

bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za