South Africa's body-worn camera rollout faces delays, says Acting Police Minister

South Africa's body-worn camera rollout for police officers has hit a standstill, according to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia. The minister revealed that the procurement process for these devices has not been finalized, despite an earlier promise to start deployment in the 2025/26 financial year. This delay has drawn criticism from Democratic Alliance (DA) KwaZulu-Natal MP Mzamo Billy, who accused the government of failing to deliver on its commitment.

Cachalia stated that operational members in KwaZulu-Natal have not yet been equipped with body-worn cameras and that the province has not initiated a rollout. The bid for service providers has not been advertised by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) yet, and once a provider is chosen, SAPS will develop a comprehensive national rollout plan.

R14 million has been allocated for the procurement of body-worn cameras and vehicle dashboard cameras nationally. Billy emphasized the importance of body-worn cameras in improving transparency, preserving evidence, protecting honest officers, and deterring misconduct. He also criticized Cachalia for not presenting a clear national implementation plan with measurable milestones, instead hiding behind procurement processes and bureaucracy.