Newcastle’s CCTV Network in Disrepair: Only Six Cameras Operational in CBD

Newcastle’s CCTV Network in Disrepair: Only Six Cameras Operational in CBD

CCTV cameras positioned in high-priority areas are crucial for addressing criminal activities and tackling social challenges in Newcastle. However, despite their immense value, the town’s security coverage is falling short due to significant issues with its CCTV infrastructure.

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Currently, only 6 of Newcastle’s CCTV cameras are operational, leaving vast sections of the town without adequate surveillance.

Providing further insights, Newcastle Municipality’s Manager for Communications and Customer Relations, Mthandeni Myende, disclosed that the town’s surveillance system consists of 101 CCTV cameras. These cameras are strategically installed in Newcastle, Madadeni, and Osizweni, focusing on high-priority areas to enhance security and public safety.

However, Myende explained that the system is facing severe challenges due to its aging wireless infrastructure. “95 CCTV cameras are not connecting to the CCTV Surveillance Room, because of damaged wireless communication infrastructure,” Myende revealed. Currently, only six cameras in the Newcastle CBD are fully functional. This means that the control room’s viewing capabilities are severely limited, which impacts the system’s overall effectiveness and its ability to serve as a reliable security measure.

While the CCTV cameras are designed to assist in law enforcement and the protection of both the Newcastle community and visitors to the area, Myende confirmed that a service provider repaired parts of the system as far as possible in August 2024.

However, he assured residents that when financial resources allow, the Newcastle Municipality plans to repair or replace the damaged CCTV surveillance equipment to restore functionality across the network.

“The Newcastle Municipality has a good working relationship with the Newcastle Cluster SAPS Office, with Major General Alexander steering the ship. This forms part of an intergovernmental relationship partnership to assist SAPS and the Bylaw Enforcement Unit in addressing crime and bylaws by detecting criminal activity in the areas covered by CCTV cameras,” Myende explained.

As CCTV footage plays a vital role in criminal investigations, it should be clarified that when a crime occurs, victims must report the incident and receive a case number.

An investigating officer from the South African Police Service (SAPS) can then request footage from the CCTV Control Room. However, this process is governed by Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977, which requires a duly appointed police officer to apply to a magistrate, regional magistrate, or high court judge to obtain records from the Municipality.

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Nevertheless, with the bulk of the Newcastle Municipality’s CCTV cameras deemed as non-functional, leaving residents at a disadvantage and with no timeframe on when these cameras will be repaird, what are your thoughts on the current state of Newcastle’s CCTV system?

Share your views in the comment section below.

Comments 4

  1. Willie says:

    Towns security and water infrastucture fails, municipality dont pay their bills but they have money to spend on a new sports centre…really !!!

  2. Natashia Mclaren says:

    Upon initial exposure to the headline of this article, my immediate cognitive response was as follows: Initially, a particular aspect garnered prominence in our consideration, namely the ostensibly ancillary ‘by-laws’, which, notwithstanding their seemingly subsidiary nature, hold paramount significance for a discerning coterie of key decision-makers within our municipal jurisdiction here in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    Upon perusing the article in question, I was struck by the palpable sense of inequity and bias that pervades the manner in which this town’s Municipality is administered. The ostensibly laughable, yet lamentable, nature of this governance is a travesty that warrants scrutiny and condemnation.

    It is axiomatic that bias, by its very definition, implies a one-sided approach, where a particular perspective or agenda is prioritized to the detriment of others ¹. This is precisely the scenario that unfolds in the article, where the Municipality’s modus operandi is characterized by a glaring lack of impartiality and fairness.

    The article serves as a damning indictment of the Municipality’s governance, laying bare the egregious shortcomings and ineptitudes that have become hallmarks of its administration. The cumulative effect of these shortcomings is a governance structure that is, at best, dysfunctional and, at worst, downright malevolent.

    Thus, why in my opinion, this article helps a lot in confirming the laughable, one-sided, disgraceful manner in which this town’s Municipality is being run.

  3. Keith Moser says:

    If you know what the problem is; address it…
    Stop making excuses.

  4. Aswad says:

    Just a other tenderpreneur opportunity.

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