City of Johannesburg CCTV footage draft by-law criticised
The proposed by-law means residents would have to get permission to install CCTV cameras in their private properties or businesses.
The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has introduced a CCTV camera and footage draft by-law.
The draft by-law is already being criticised by residents of the city and crime activists.
According to the proposed by-law, “No person may erect a CCTV camera, or continue to use a CCTV camera, or any structure or device as a CCTV camera as provided for in this by-law, without prior written approval of the city.
No CCTV camera erected and operated may be altered, removed, re-erected or upgraded, without prior written approval of the city.”
The proposed by-law means residents must get permission to install CCTV cameras in their private properties or businesses.
Anti-crime activist André Snyman criticised the draft bill, “The CoJ decided that private security cameras are a menace to society. Not criminals, just the cameras. Residents may soon be forced to either register their security cameras with the city or take them down,” added Snyman.
DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku slammed the by-law. She said: “This by-law is nothing more than an attempt to strengthen a failing government’s control, with unknown levels of overreach.
“It introduces a complex and costly registration process that will affect homeowners, businesses, and community policing forums that have installed CCTV cameras to protect their properties and public spaces.
“A crime-ridden city, that cannot even provide basic service delivery, or fix a leak, wants to add another admin-intensive application and registration process,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
Read the CoJ CCTV camera by-law here.
Purpose of the draft by-law:
According to the CCTV draft by-law document, the purpose of the by-law is to: “Provide regulation and registration of privately-owned closed-circuit CCTV camera installed in public space and private property, and whose range and angle of coverage includes public space within the city, to promote the lawful and constitutional use of a CCTV camera within the jurisdiction of the city, as a mechanism to deter crime and to prosecute perpetrators of crime by ensuring the safety and security of individuals, communities and property within the city.”
The document further reads: “The by-law will ensure law enforcement discharges the city‘s obligation of a safer city; in the performance of its functions as required by section 64E of the South African Police Act 68 of 1995, (regulating of traffic policing, by law policing and crime prevention).
“To ensure that the use of installed CCTV Camera within the city is in strict compliance with the applicable laws by providing an effective framework within which the city can prescribe, regulate and safeguard constitutional rights to human dignity, privacy, security of persons, freedom of movement; and general wellbeing of the community.”
