Councillor clears up ‘mast’ confusion
Durban North councillor has assured the community that the towers are being installed for CCTV surveillance.
THE Durban North community has been rattled and outraged by the sudden installation of several towers throughout the area with many fearing that the structures are being erected as cell masts. However, Durban North ward councillor Shaun Ryley has assured the community that there is no need for alarm.
He said the towers are being erected by the City for closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance.
According to Ryley, neither the planning and development or the real-estate departments have any record of cell mast applications for these towers being erected on municipal land.
“These departments deal with the applications for cell mast towers. If these towers were planned for cell phone masts these departments would have a record of application and/or an approval,” he said.
“This is a positive development as crime has become a problem in the area, and this can only improve the safety and security in the area,” he said.
What is concerning, he said was that he was unable to determine which department was granted permission. “It is still a mystery,” he added.
Ryley said he has been trying to receive confirmation from the security and management department, but has been unsuccessful.
What is more, he said before the towers could ever potentially be utilized as cell masts, an application would have to go through the planning and development department and would then be submitted for public participation where the residents can object.
City responds:
The City’s head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa confirmed that the eThekwini Municipality has embarked on a city-wide CCTV project which will include license plate recognition cameras.
Mthethwa said the project was in line with the Municipal Integrated Development Programme which strives to create a ‘safe’ and ‘smart’ City.
“Through private and public partnerships new concrete poles have been introduced to improve smart city visibility as the City is moving towards wireless cameras that will increase visibility and serve as a backup if fibre cable is stolen or damaged. The City has established relations with many response agencies and private sector organisations. The objective was to reduce crime in various parts of the City as well as to have coverage of parts of the City where high levels of crime have been reported,” said Mthethwa.
“The Municipality strives to ensure that all those who live, work, play and invest in eThekwini feel safe in private and public spaces. We believe that the safety and security of citizens are critical to ensuring an improved quality of life,” she said.
These cameras are monitored 24 hours, 365 days in a year, she added.
The project also encompasses the replacement of aging steel poles with concrete poles which are less maintenance.
The known CCTV towers include, Beachway and Adelaide Tambo Drive, Northway (Kenneth Kaunda Drive) and Cadogan Drive, Marion and Newport Avenues, William Cambell Drive as well as Margaret Maytom and Umhlanga Rocks Drive.
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