Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Gauteng recently had 25 CCTV cameras installed.

Herman Mashaba, Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg marked the occasion on July 19 when the cameras officially went online.

Mashaba said he had promised that the city would install a CCTV camera system in Vilakazi Street to enhance the safety of business owners, the public and tourists.

The death of Khwesi Hudson prompted Mashaba to take action. “Today’s event is dedicated to the memory of the late Mr. Hudson, and others like him, who have fallen victim to crime.”

The Department of Public Safety has included Vilakazi Street as part of its Smart City Rollout Plan.

The Executive Mayor said by working together with stakeholders and community leaders, five strategic points had been identified for the CCTV cameras to be installed.

The cameras run on fibre optics and are connected to the Department of Safety’s Intelligence Operation Centre, where the footage is monitored throughout the day.

The cameras can zoom in to more than 150 metres in any given direction, while providing high-definition images, even during the evening. The cameras can also count people, identify abandoned or removed objects, and provide intrusion detection to secure areas.

“From this moment on, we will be able to monitor the area around the clock for any possible criminal activities,” said Mashaba.

The Executive Mayor said he hoped that the cameras would positively contribute to ensuring that business owners in the street and the broader area would be able to conduct their activities in a safe environment, as there are more than 700 people employed by the restaurants in the street alone.

According to Mashaba, tourism is one of the drivers that are currently contributing to the city’s goal of achieving 5% economic growth by 2021, as it is also one of the most profitable industry sectors.