South African traffic officers will be issued with body cameras to ensure the safety of both law enforcers and members of the public.<\/p>\n
In a statement ahead of the Easter festive season, the Department of Transport said that the cameras will be a useful tool in dealing with the high levels of bribery incidents by providing a factual account of events.<\/p>\n
“The Road Traffic Management Corporation has taken a giant leap towards reinventing law enforcement by introducing a lasting solution to many law enforcement problems in the form of a body-worn camera to be used by officers,” it said.<\/p>\n
“This use of e-enforcement will not only bring about much-needed relief to the fraternity but will also enhance road safety for all road users especially motorists.”<\/p>\n
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula is expected to provide an official demonstration of the new technology at the launch of the Easter Road Safety Campaign in the North West next week.<\/p>\n
The idea of equipping SAPS members with cameras has been floated for a number of years but has been put on the back burner due to a lack of funding.<\/p>\n
Speaking to\u00a0BusinessTech<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in June 2019, a Department of Police spokesperson said that body cameras are on the agenda of the SAPS\u2019 top management \u2013 although no implementation date had been set as the department awaits more information on funding.<\/p>\n \u201cBody cameras will be used as \u2013 but not limited to \u2013 a safety measure to protect our men and woman in blue during operations,\u201d the spokesperson said at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThey will also be used for data capturing as the world is moving in the direction of the 4th industrial revolution and to advance policing.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t give the exact date of implementation unfortunately for now, due to the allocation of funds etc.\u201d<\/p>\n