An eThekwini municipality worker has been charged with theft, sabotage and vandalism of municipal infrastructure.
The arrest of the 30-year-old employee follows a planned sting operation that was carried out by the City’s Disaster Management Unit, Metro Police, the City Integrity and Investigation Unit (CIIU), and the South African Police Service.
The suspect was apprehended on Tuesday after an investigation revealed his alleged involvement in damaging the newly upgraded cables that connects servers and feeds to the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. These cameras play a crucial role in monitoring and detecting crime, ensuring law and order through the City’s Emergency Service Control Room.
eThekwini spokesperson Gugu Sisilana confirmed the arrest.
“The municipality has opened a criminal case against the suspect for theft, sabotage, and vandalism of municipal infrastructure. The employee has also been served with a notice of immediate suspension,” said Ms Sisilana.
The arrested individual was reportedly caught in the act last week, damaging cables linked to the CCTV cameras that were repaired and upgraded last year in preparation for the festive season.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda commended the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies, the Disaster Management Unit, and the CIIU for their swift response.
“We are committed to rooting out any form of criminality within the municipality and have adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards lawlessness.”
He said the City was determined not to compromise the safety of residents, visitors and businesses.
Vincent Ngubane, head of the Disaster Management and Emergency Services Unit, warned against tampering with municipal infrastructure, stating that repairing damaged cameras incurred significant costs and posed a major setback in the fight against crime.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini welcomed the arrest but urged a shift in camera monitoring responsibility.
DA councillor Sharmaine Sewshanker suggested that Metro Police, rather than the disaster management unit, should oversee the monitoring of CCTV cameras, emphasising the need for competent and experienced law enforcement officers in this critical role.
