Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly condemns the continued silence and inaction from the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, regarding the rollout of police body-worn cameras, despite his commitment in November 2024 to begin this critical initiative in April 2025.
Given the Minister’s ongoing failure to communicate or act, the DA calls for urgent intervention.
We demand that the Minister:
- Provide a full implementation plan for the body camera rollout;
- Disclose procurement timelines and budget allocations; and
- Commit to regular progress reports to Parliament.
In his written reply to a parliamentary question I posed in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), the Minister assured the nation that the South African Police Service (SAPS) would begin procuring and deploying body cameras to improve transparency, accountability, and public trust in law enforcement.
Yet, months later, there has been no follow-up, no clarity on timelines, no procurement updates, and no transparency around pilot sites or officer training plans.
The absence of concrete implementation details and the Minister’s failure to keep Parliament and the public informed undermines the very purpose of this initiative, which is to rebuild trust between SAPS and the communities they serve.
Body-worn cameras have proven successful in many countries, significantly reducing police misconduct, use-of-force incidents, and frivolous civilian complaints against the police. South Africa cannot afford further delays in adopting a technology that can help restore public confidence in a police service marred by allegations of corruption, abuse and poor conduct.
Minister Mchunu should take a page from the DA’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, whose department recently announced the deployment of body-worn cameras and drones for the Border Management Authority (BMA).
Regards
Mzamo Billy MP
DA Member on the Select Committee on Security and Justice