Outcry as north shopping centre opts for CCTV instead of car guards

A decision by a local shopping centre to replace car guards with CCTV cameras appears to have the Pretoria North community fuming.

The Blaauw Village shopping centre on Ben Viljoen Street in Pretoria North finds itself at the centre of a heated controversy following its decision to replace the car guards with what it referred to as state-of-the-art technological cameras.

This move will leave 12 car guards without employment, sparking significant backlash from the local community.

Addressing the community’s concerns, City Property Administration MD Jeffrey Wapnick said the centre was taking the safety and security of shoppers and tenants very seriously.

“Hence the decision by the landlord to enhance our security offering with the installation of a state-of-the-art digital camera system,” Wapnick told Rekord.

“This new generation CCTV system offers improved safety, quicker reaction times and monitors all the areas all the time. The built-in AI software picks up suspicious people, questionable activity and trends, and alerts the guards on the ground immediately.”

Wapnick said the centre will continue to work with its current security provider along with law enforcement to ensure the centre meets the challenges it faces.

He said a concern was raised that some car guards operating in the centre do not have the necessary skills and expertise to perform security functions and are not registered with PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority).

“The car guards weren’t dismissed as they were never our employees but private people operating on our premises,” Wapnick said.

He acknowledged the impact on the car guards but maintained the decision was final, emphasising the company’s commitment to security standards and revealing that the guards’ lack of PSIRA qualifications played a part in the decision.

“We are part of the Pretoria North community and we pride ourselves on being a friendly, convenient and safe shopping centre. Having provided more clarity, we hope members of the public have a better understanding that this decision was not taken lightly and we will continue to support our tenants.”

Meanwhile, various organisations and community figures have come out in support of the car guards.

These included the Pretoria North Business Chamber, AfriForum Pretoria North chairperson Quentin Meyer and the House of Peace shelter.

In a statement to Rekord, the House of Peace said the removal of car guards from the centre was concerning.

“It will leave vehicles vulnerable to criminal activity. Cameras alone cannot prevent theft effectively.”

The shelter said car guards are family men, fathers, and sons trying to make an honest living to support their families, but have been unjustly treated.

“As vehicle owners and proud Pretoria North Christian individuals, we cannot stand idly by. We must unite and support them in taking action against the shopping centre.”

Among those car guards affected is Clifford van Tonder, who has devoted over 30 years of service to protecting the shopping centre’s patrons.

The decision has dismayed Van Tonder and his colleagues.

“This makes me sad,” Van Tonder shared, voicing his concerns over his ability to support his family on his modest daily earnings.

Van Tonder said this situation was very difficult given his responsibility to support a family of five on an income that averaged R150 a day.

“Bread and butter have been taken out of my family’s mouth,” he said.

Van Tonder, reflecting on their contributions, recounted an incident recently when the guards were prepared to intervene to stop a shop robbery, only to be held back by the official security personnel.

During a recent community meeting, residents raised questions regarding the efficiency of the new CCTV system.

Residents believed the cameras could not observe what was happening between all motor vehicles in the parking, and could not perform other functions, such as:

– Address a disregard for others such as parking outside a demarcated parking space.

– Notice the damage caused to parked vehicles by people pushing trolleys or recklessly opening their car doors to hit the cars next to theirs.

Other concerns included that, with no car guards present, parking could become a nightmare.

Car remote signal jamming was also a cause for concern.

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