Dear Editor
Another broken promise from the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, will delay the roll-out of body cameras for South Africa’s police officers, with no definite timeline now on the table.
The rollout was promised to begin in April 2025, but a DA question in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) this week put Mchunu on the spot about these body cameras, and shockingly he was forced to confirm that not a single body-worn camera has been deployed to date.
The Minister has announced that a tender process has begun, but it is still so early in its process that no cameras may be bought or distributed for several months.
This is a very concerning failure, as body cameras for police officers are an essential improvement to our policing professionalism, and for protecting our police officers – yet the Minister and his Department have not seen fit to stick to their timeline and promises. The DA has consistently championed body-worn cameras as an essential tool to promote transparency, accountability, and protection — not only for the public, but for the countless honest, hardworking officers who risk their lives daily.
The DA demands that SAPS and Minister Mchunu urgently present a revised, time-bound implementation plan for the deployment of body-worn cameras. This plan must include clear deliverables, concrete accountability measures, and publicly disclosed deadlines to ensure transparency and progress.
Without these cameras, honest and professional police officers remain vulnerable to frivolous complaints, false accusations, and reputational damage, with no way to independently verify their conduct. And without these cameras police officers who might have done wrong may go unpunished because there is no evidence of wrongdoing.
Globally, body-worn cameras for police are a best practice because they:
- Reduce incidents of police misconduct;
- Protect ethical officers from baseless allegations;
- Strengthen evidentiary credibility in court; and
- Help rebuild public confidence in law enforcement.
This is not merely a delay; it is a dereliction of duty.
We will not allow this vital reform, which protects communities and shields good officers from false claims, to be buried under a mountain of bureaucratic excuses.
Regards
Mzamo Billy MP
DA Member on the Select Committee on Security and Justice