Beyond broken cameras — the surveillance tech needed to protect SA women
Across the globe, CCTV cameras and AI software are being used to scour tens of thousands of hours of footage to help find the missing. It is time for South Africa to do the same.
In South Africa, the use of CCTV cameras and AI software is being explored to help find missing persons, and there is a call for the country to implement similar technology. D Khosa, a Professor at Unisa’s College of Law, School of Criminal Justice, has highlighted the need for this technology. In September, Elizabeth Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old woman, went missing after leaving her house to go for a run.
Her body was found three days later behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park. The province has spent R124.5 million on installing 960 CCTV cameras, but 89 sites are non-functional, affecting 269 cameras. The cost of ongoing maintenance is estimated to be R12 million to R15 million per year. It is suggested that 300 cameras be installed along identified walking and running routes, and that e-panic buttons be linked to the cameras.
The province has already invested in safety measures, but a protocol for a coordinated video search that obliges private networks to release relevant footage in hours rather than weeks is needed.
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