Smile, you’re on camera and ‘Big Brother’ is watching!
The Gauteng Provincial Government, through Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Vumacam, have teamed up to unveil more than 6,000 new face-recognition CCTV cameras which will help law enforcement authorities in crime prevention and investigations around the province.
Lesufi led the signing of a partnership agreement with Vumacam, which will see almost 7,000 cameras placed in townships, suburbs, informal settlements, roads, schools, and other public places to fight crime in Gauteng.
Like the popular DSTV Big Brother show, which has house-mates in a house with cameras running 24/7, the streets of Gauteng, will be similar.
Gauteng smile you are on camera! Today, we switched on 6000 new face recognition CCTVs to take the fight against crime to the next level. Less talk, more work! #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/7cQbFIrA1V
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) February 13, 2024
The aim of the cameras is to help monitor and nab those who are engaging in criminal activities in the absence of police. The cameras will be placed in “crime hotspots” around the province.
Addressing the media, Lesufi said he would continue to fight to bring crime to its knees.
“When I fight, I fight for my child, my child’s child and the community of Gauteng,” he said.
He said they aimed to reclaim Small Street.
Lesufi said a safer Gauteng was emerging as the next level of fighting crime was being carried out.
“Gauteng smile, you are on camera! Today, we switched on over 6,000 new face recognition CCTVs to take the fight against crime to the next level. Less talk, more work!” he said.
[IN PICTURES]: Gauteng Premier @Lesufi today led the signing of a partnership agreement with Vumacam. The @GautengProvince will install CCTV cameras in townships, business districts, areas with high crime spots, roads, schools, & other public places to fight crime in the province pic.twitter.com/zEBTBuKCyX
— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) February 13, 2024
Lesufi said Vumacam would provide a live feed from all the cameras, which would then be sent in real time, to an operations centre managed by law enforcement authorities. He said if there was suspicious activity taking place, law enforcement could be dispatched swiftly.
They also explained that the hi-tech biometric systems on the camera had capabilities to capture number plates and also had facial recognition technology capabilities.
Lesufi promises
This is one of Lesufi’s delivered promises since he took office. At his last State of the Provincial Address (Sopa), he vowed to deliver jobs to fight poverty and improve the situation of jobless youth in Gauteng.
On June 16, Lesufi launched the Nasi Ispani, a recruitment programme that will get young people employment opportunities.
He said they were tired of celebrating Youth Day with so many unemployed young people.
He said that there were other plans in the pipeline to get more young people into the labour market.
Lesufi has so far handed over more than 90,000 employment letters to the unemployed youth, including the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, who are popularly known as “amaPanyaza” who are now training under the supervision of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to fight crime in the province.
This is despite citizens and political parties accusing Lesufi of using this initiative as an electioneering tactic to get young people to vote for the African National Congress (ANC).
He has since dismissed the claims, saying the programme was legitimate and was improving lives.
IOL Politics