GEORGE NEWS - AfriForum has called on George Mayor Browen Johnson to intervene in the ongoing dispute over the municipality’s decision to withdraw access to its National Vehicle Intelligence Cloud (Navic) camera monitoring system from community safety organisations.
In a formal letter to Johnson on 21 October, AfriForum demanded that the decision be reconsidered, interim monitoring arrangements restored and discussions held with the police and other affected stakeholders.
The restrictions, implemented on 21 September, prevent previously authorised members of the police, community policing forums (CPFs), neighbourhood watches, farm watches and other safety organisations from independently monitoring camera footage to track suspected criminal activity and co-ordinate responses.
AfriForum’s Southern Cape district co-ordinator, Marthinus Erasmus, criticised the municipality’s alleged refusal to engage with the organisation.
“Acting municipal manager Dr Dean O’Neill confirmed in writing on 7 October that the municipality would not meet with AfriForum," Erasmus said.
AfriForum also raised concerns about the municipal control room’s response capacity and communication with safety stakeholders, as monitoring and information co-ordination now largely depend on the municipal CCTV hub.
New application process questioned
The municipality has since introduced a new application process for safety stakeholders seeking access to the system.
However, AfriForum questions the need for additional verification requirements, given the existing vetting procedures for participation in the Eyes and Ears Initiative (E2) network and access to the Navic platform.
The organisation also wants clarity on who will conduct the additional verification and what authority any third party involved would have.
Legal grounds for challenge
Responding to George Herald’s questions about the legal grounds for challenging the decision, Erasmus acknowledged that community safety organisations do not have an automatic right to access municipal cameras.
“Our argument is not that AfriForum, CPFs or neighbourhood watches have an automatic right to access the municipality’s cameras. The crux is that communities and organised community safety structures play a legally recognised role in crime prevention and community safety,” he said.
He referred to Section 18 of the South African Police Service Act, which provides for co-operation between the police and communities, and the Western Cape Community Safety Act, which provides for the accreditation and support of neighbourhood watches.
He also cited Sections 16 and 17 of the Municipal Systems Act, which promote community participation and consultation with recognised community organisations.
“The municipality can control its infrastructure, but community safety is not its exclusive responsibility,” Erasmus said.
He argued that excluding established safety stakeholders from an existing network while refusing to engage with them conflicted with broader legal principles of community participation and co-operation.
According to Erasmus, the municipality’s actions also directly contradict the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) whole-of-society approach, which advocates co-operation between government, communities and the private sector. The DA governs George Municipality.
Erasmus warned that suspicious vehicles tracked towards George could effectively disappear from the broader safety network’s radar once they enter the area.
AfriForum has given Johnson seven working days to respond.
George Herald has approached the mayor for comment through the municipality’s official communication channels. The online article will include his response as soon as it is received.
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