“WE are determined as a department to utilise our technical expertise to help our province get rid of this evil called crime,” says MEC for Gauteng Department of e-Government (eGov), Bonginkosi Dlamini.
He was presenting his maiden Budget speech at the Gauteng Legislature, recently.
“These initiatives include the installation of CCTV cameras and ePanic Button in our townships. These will be following other initiatives which include the creation of a paperless government and a crime operations centre,” noted the bespectacled Dlamini.
His department has been allocated R1.677.914 billion to fight crime in the province.
“We therefore will install 500 CCTV cameras on major roads, business centers, and hotspots across Gauteng, especially in TISH areas ( Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels)”.
“We will also explore other ICT innovations to enhance smart technology solutions that address Gauteng citizens’ safety, security, and health needs,” added the MEC.
The budget will also be spent on fighting crime using technology, development of public WIFI hotspots, safeguarding and protecting all provincial digital data from cyber criminals and development of e-Services.
Cyber criminality is on the rise worldwide with major banks, corporations and other States feeling the heat.
The e-Panic and physical buttons have been distributed to citizens as part of the new e-policing initiatives, recording 30,589 users and 14,509 callouts.
The e-Panic application is a game-changer in fighting crime, particularly gender-based violence and femicide.
It was first launched in Kagiso- West Rand recently.
The budget also included how the department will implement its public WIFI hotspots, cyber security and building the capacity of the human capital of the department through ICT skills, operational, monitoring movements through 300 GPG installed and 6000 leased CCTV cameras.
