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Gugu Lourie’s column refers (“Use surveillance cameras to combat rising violent crime”, September 5). While it is understandable that the high levels of crime in SA provoke strong emotions and a desire for drastic action, his suggestion that we emulate China’s widespread surveillance systems is not a viable solution for our country.
The core of SA’s challenges lies not in a lack of surveillance but in the fundamental need for a capable, resourced and accountable police force, with an effective judicial system.
The notion that privacy rights should be sacrificed in favour of surveillance overlooks the risks of abuse of such systems. The erosion of privacy is not a solution to incompetence and inefficiency within law enforcement.
SA does not face a technological deficiency but rather a systemic governance issue. We have seen repeatedly that even in areas where resources are allocated, such as police visibility and special task forces, the outcomes are undermined by corruption, mismanagement and a lack of political will to hold criminals and corrupt public servants accountable. Technology alone will not solve this; it requires political and institutional reform.
While the comparison to China’s crime management might seem appealing, it disregards the different societal and political structures between the two nations. China’s highly controlled environment, with limited personal freedom, cannot simply be transposed to a democratic nation such as SA without dire consequences for the freedom we enjoy. The pursuit of safety cannot come at the cost of fundamental freedom, especially in a country that has endured so much in its struggle for liberty.
Our fight against crime is not a war against our citizens but a battle against the conditions that breed crime: poverty, inequality and a failing state apparatus.
Shifting focus from the root causes to mass surveillance is a reactionary response that fails to address the underlying problems.
Lerato Njoko Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Surveillance cameras won’t fix police
Gugu Lourie’s column refers (“Use surveillance cameras to combat rising violent crime”, September 5). While it is understandable that the high levels of crime in SA provoke strong emotions and a desire for drastic action, his suggestion that we emulate China’s widespread surveillance systems is not a viable solution for our country.
The core of SA’s challenges lies not in a lack of surveillance but in the fundamental need for a capable, resourced and accountable police force, with an effective judicial system.
The notion that privacy rights should be sacrificed in favour of surveillance overlooks the risks of abuse of such systems. The erosion of privacy is not a solution to incompetence and inefficiency within law enforcement.
SA does not face a technological deficiency but rather a systemic governance issue. We have seen repeatedly that even in areas where resources are allocated, such as police visibility and special task forces, the outcomes are undermined by corruption, mismanagement and a lack of political will to hold criminals and corrupt public servants accountable. Technology alone will not solve this; it requires political and institutional reform.
While the comparison to China’s crime management might seem appealing, it disregards the different societal and political structures between the two nations. China’s highly controlled environment, with limited personal freedom, cannot simply be transposed to a democratic nation such as SA without dire consequences for the freedom we enjoy. The pursuit of safety cannot come at the cost of fundamental freedom, especially in a country that has endured so much in its struggle for liberty.
Our fight against crime is not a war against our citizens but a battle against the conditions that breed crime: poverty, inequality and a failing state apparatus.
Shifting focus from the root causes to mass surveillance is a reactionary response that fails to address the underlying problems.
Lerato Njoko
Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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