Tshwane has no money to repair CCTV cameras

Pretoria – The City of Tshwane’s current financial difficulties make it impossible to repair vandalised CCTV cameras in the metro, municipal chief of staff Jordan Griffiths has said.

Griffiths said plans to repair the CCTV system by last year could not be fulfilled. The DA-led administration in the metro has blamed this on the now-departed administrators, who it claimed left a R4 billion deficit.

Police spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe said Pretoria was currently experiencing numerous thefts out of motor vehicles.

“The cameras used to help because we could see the faces of criminals and approach media houses with their photos and help to identify them,” Selepe said.

“They were also helpful for speedy reaction because they were an important tool for surveillance.

“We have noticed that these criminals steal everything from laptops to bags and anything else they can sell for cash.

“We also have cases of theft involving motor vehicles whereby criminals steal the lights, mirrors and mirror covers of vehicles parked where there is no security. They targeted Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.”

She said the police were also picking up concerning cases of smash-and-grab incidents, and sometimes at the same spot like at the Fountains Valley circle.

However, Griffith said the current constraints on the fiscus in the City meant that the cameras the City would love to get working could not be repaired at this particular point in time. He said, however, the Tshwane Metro Police Department and stakeholders in the CBD were due to launch a satellite station in the next few months to help combat crimes there.

The City was working with businesses in Pretoria to strengthen relations and efforts to combat criminal behaviour to ensure that the metro was safe for all its residents and guests.

Said Griffiths: “We are also looking to do more visible policing in the city as part of complementing all the other efforts to deal with crime in the area.”

Selepe also warned motorists who lied about being victims of smash-and-grab crime.

“We want our people to know that those investigations will expose them and they will be charged with perjury,” Selepe said.

“You cannot park under the tree and when robbed claim you were driving around Pretoria and someone broke into your car.

“Resources are being spent for no reason, and we urge our people to be honest when dealing with the police,” she said.

Pretoria News