Durban — An eThekwini Municipality employee was arrested for theft and vandalising closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras following a sting operation.
The municipality said that to root out fraud and corruption and to send a strong message that no one is above the law, a multi-disciplinary sting operation led to the arrest of a employee for theft, sabotage and vandalism of CCTV cameras.
The suspect, aged 30, was arrested on Tuesday, after an investigation by the City’s Disaster Management Unit, Metro Police, the City Integrity and Investigation Unit (CIIU) and the South African Police Service.
Last week the suspect was caught damaging newly upgraded cables linking servers and feeds to the CCTV cameras. The cameras are linked to the city’s Emergency Service Control Room. The control room monitors and detects crime while ensuring law and order.
The employee, who is one of the city’s CCTV camera operators, was also served with a notice of immediate suspension.
Disaster Management and Emergency Services Unit head Vincent Ngubane said the city will not hesitate to arrest anyone who tampers with and sabotages municipal infrastructure such as CCTV cameras, even if it is one of their own.
Ngubane said that repairing damaged cameras is costly and a major setback in the fight against crime.
EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda commended all for their swift response.
“We are committed to rooting out any form of criminality within the municipality and have adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards lawlessness. This city has no room for criminals and will not allow anyone who will compromise the safety of our residents, visitors and businesses,” Kaunda said.
At the end of last year, the municipality embarked on a project to repair and upgrade CCTV cameras in the city centre. This was the city’s way of ensuring the safety of residents and holidaymakers during the festive season and beyond.
In December, Kaunda conducted an oversight inspection of the control room. During the visit, it was revealed that the upgrade of the surveillance cameras will also improve traffic flow management, emergency response times and the overall deployment of critical municipal resources.
Additionally, new CCTV installations were made in critical areas and crime hotspots.
The municipality urged residents to report any suspicious and fraudulent activities which compromise service delivery to the CIIU on 0800 20 20 20. All services are free and the identity of the whistle-blowers is protected.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News