Latest news with #JPSmith
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- General
- Eyewitness News
JP Smith says nothing implemented from agreement between national govt, WC govt, CoCT
CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town has again called for the urgent conclusion of the implementation agreement between national government, the province, and the City of Cape Town. In August last year, a cooperation agreement between the three spheres of government was signed to enhance collaboration between police and law enforcement to address crime concerns in the province. Ramaphosa described the move as historic. However, the city's Safety and Security MMC, JP Smith, said that nothing had been implemented from that agreement. The City of Cape Town's safety and security portfolio committee has endorsed a motion for the devolution of policing powers to the municipality. The motion mandates the city manager to approach national government to request the devolution of specific investigative, crime intelligence, and forensic powers to help police in their duties. Safety and Security MMC JP Smith explains: "The portfolio committee is saying to the city manager: 'We want you to now resort to the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005, and if that doesn't get results, we want to formally go to court'. So, we are moving from asking to formal litigation." Smith added that many cities and provinces believe the days of national government running SAPS should pass.
Eyewitness News
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Thousands of runners set to turn out for Slave Route Challenge through Cape Town's CBD
CAPE TOWN - The 13th annual Slave Route Challenge takes place on Sunday, 1 June. The road race takes runners through Cape Town's historic landmarks and is a tribute to those who endured oppression and slavery. Various roads in the CBD will be affected on Sunday, from 4am until 11:30am. This includes the area around the Castle of Good Hope, including Lower Buitenkant Street, Sir Lowry Road, Hanover and Hatfield streets. The City of Cape Town's MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith: "This Sunday, about 8,000 runners will take part in the Slave Route Challenge. The challenge follows a course steeped in Cape Town's layered past and is more than a race. The City of Cape Town is proud to support an event that commemorates the history of this city and honours those who played a part in making Cape Town what it is today."
Time Out
30-05-2025
- Time Out
Slave Route Challenge to disrupt CBD traffic
So first, the good news: the 13th edition of the Slave Route Challenge takes over the streets of Cape Town this Sunday (1 June 2025) with over 8000 runners tackling the 21km, 10km, and 5km routes that pay tribute to Cape Town's colourful, complex history. The bad news? Those 8000 runners are going to cause just a tiny bit of mayhem with CBD traffic, so if you had plans to hit Greenmarket Square, the Company's Garden or even the Waterfront, you're going to want to plan your route carefully. Locals can look forward to significant traffic disruptions across the CBD and surrounding neighbourhoods, with a number of key routes fully or partially closed from the early hours of the morning through to midday. The biggest closures include: Darling Street (between Plein and Buitenkant Streets): Full closure from 4am to 11.30am Sir Lowry Road (westbound): Between Tennant and Buitenkant Streets Hanover Street: Between Tennant and Sir Lowry, and again between Christiaan and Tennant Lower Buitenkant Street: Between Strand and Darling Hatfield Street: Between Roeland and Orange Additional lane closures and restricted access will impact major thoroughfares including: Roeland, Orange, Wale, Long, Loop and Somerset Roads Beach Road, Granger Bay Boulevard, Prestwich, Riebeek, and Adderley Streets Several MyCiTi bus routes will also be diverted or temporarily suspended. Affected routes include: 101, 102, 103, 109, 111, and 118 Key stop closures include Adderley, Lower Plein, District Six, and Alfred (on Somerset Road) 'We encourage motorists to plan alternate routes and allow extra travel time,' said Alderman JP Smith. For full road closure maps and public transport updates, visit
Mail & Guardian
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Watching from above: Surveillance in Cape Town
Growing reliance on military-grade surveillance has drawn concern from civil society and privacy advocates. In 2024, the City of Cape Town unveiled its Eye in the Sky (Eye) Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance initiative — an advanced aerial technology system designed to provide real-time monitoring of activities on the ground. Marketed as a milestone in the City's crime-fighting strategy, Eye forms part of a broader push to integrate surveillance technologies into public safety and urban governance. According to JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, the city has also invested in similar technologies to address environmental issues such as mountain fires and illegal marine poaching. Unlike traditional drones, Eye boasts superior aerial imaging and extended operational endurance. It can fly at higher altitudes, operate longer, and function in adverse weather conditions. Equipped with infrared cameras, it detects body heat in cold water, traces residual heat from discharged firearms, and captures the thermal signatures of high-speed vehicles. Beyond law enforcement, Eye is also used to monitor infrastructure vandalism, identify voltage anomalies in power lines, observe coastal and biodiversity zones, and track broader environmental degradation. The system is part of a growing suite of surveillance tools rolled out across Cape Town, including body-worn and dashboard cameras, ShotSpotter gunfire detection, closed-circuit television, and automatic number plate recognition. Over the past three years, the city has invested roughly R610 million in these technologies. While service providers have not been publicly named, it is widely known that the Argos II camera system — manufactured by German defence contractor HENSOLDT — is a core component of the Eye's surveillance arsenal. Argos II significantly enhances aerial monitoring capabilities, delivering high-resolution, real-time intelligence to enforcement and emergency response teams. The company, with ties to Israeli air defence and a record of supplying military-certified IFF Mode 5 (Identification Friend or Foe) systems, also holds contracts with European militaries. Its involvement has raised questions about the militarisation of public safety in Cape Town. This growing reliance on military-grade surveillance has drawn concern from civil society and privacy advocates. While the stated goal is public safety, critics argue that such technologies risk enabling excessive government oversight, mass data collection without consent, and the erosion of civil liberties. The city has provided limited information about how data captured by Eye is stored, used or shared. The absence of transparency has prompted calls for stronger regulatory oversight, public consultation and the development of safeguards to prevent abuse. Legal scholars have further underscored the need for clear privacy policies that align with the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) and uphold constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. These concerns are not unique to South Africa. Similar surveillance technologies have been deployed in occupied Palestine, where they function less as tools of public safety and more as instruments of population control. In cities such as Hebron and East Jerusalem — dubbed 'smart cities' — facial recognition cameras, drones, and predictive policing software track nearly every aspect of Palestinian life. In 2023, the Red Wolf facial recognition system was introduced at West Bank checkpoints without Palestinians' consent. This program categorises individuals using a color-coded system: red for those previously arrested, yellow for those deemed resistant to occupation, and green for those considered compliant. It forms part of an effort to build a biometric database exclusively of Palestinians, flagging individuals for detention or questioning, and mapping familial and social networks. Palestinians are conscripted into this system without their knowledge or consent. Blue Wolf, a mobile facial recognition app, is used during field operations and raids to photograph and log Palestinians, including minors, in real time. White Wolf gives Israeli settlers access to government databases to verify Palestinians' permit status — an alarming breach of privacy and a dangerous outsourcing of state surveillance. All of these systems feed into Wolf Pack, a centralised data-collection program that builds profiles on Palestinians, including names, addresses, family connections and vehicle registrations. This creation of an exclusive, ethnicity-based surveillance infrastructure establishes a digital racial hierarchy. As many have warned, databases built around ethnic identity seldom end in justice. As one anonymous former Israeli general stated: 'There is a lot of tension between basic human rights or privacy and military occupation … This is more about control than counterterrorism.' In other words, surveillance is the backbone of occupation. These practices are echoed in Cape Town, where recent crackdowns on Palestinian solidarity protests suggest a shift toward similar methods of population control. Surveillance tools such as EPIC devices have reportedly been deployed to monitor, track and profile protestors. Concurrently, meetings between Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and the South African Police Service have sought strategies to suppress dissent. These developments are especially troubling in light of the Democratic Alliance's controversial visit to Israel — condemned by South Africa's department of international relations and cooperation and contrary to the country's official stance on Palestine. The Eye in the Sky system raises significant legal concerns under section 14 of the Constitution of South Africa and the Protection of Personal Information Act. By capturing thermal imagery, facial data and behavioural patterns without consent or judicial oversight, the City risks violating constitutional protections against arbitrary surveillance. Popia mandates that personal information be collected lawfully and transparently. Yet, the absence of public-facing data policies — on retention, third-party sharing (including with foreign defence contractors), and mechanisms for redress — raises the possibility of unlawful surveillance practices. Ultimately, Cape Town's Eye in the Sky risks a dangerous global trend: the quiet normalisation of military-grade surveillance in civilian life. Surveillance becomes a silent border — policing movement, suppressing protest and deepening exclusion in ways that are difficult to see and harder to challenge. As digital surveillance becomes embedded in urban governance, the fundamental question is not just how technology is used, but who it serves. Without enforceable safeguards, transparent governance, and meaningful public consultation, these systems will serve power — not people. In a constitutional democracy like South Africa, a rights-based, legally compliant, and ethically sound approach to security must not be optional — it must be non-negotiable. Sõzarn Barday is a writer and attorney based in South Africa and has a particular interest in human rights in the Middle East. Opinions shared represent her individual perspective.
The South African
27-05-2025
- The South African
Luxury vehicle crash: Drunk Porsche driver hits taxi in Cape Town CBD
The City of Cape Town's enforcement agencies continue to ramp up efforts to combat crime and improve public safety, with 235 suspects arrested and over 45 843 fines issued during the past week's operations. Among the week's standout incidents was a serious motor vehicle accident involving a yellow Porsche and a minibus taxi on FW de Klerk Boulevard outbound, near Marine Drive in the CBD. Traffic officers who responded to the scene arrested the driver of the Porsche for driving under the influence. The suspect recorded a breathalyser reading of 0.52mg/1000ml, more than double the legal limit of 0.24mg/1000ml. 'This is just the latest in a series of troubling incidents involving high-end sports cars,' said Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security. 'To be caught driving under the influence so early in the morning, and at more than twice the legal limit, is deeply concerning. This accident could have had far more serious consequences.' City of Cape Town traffic officers recorded 36 351 offences, executed 1 251 warrants of arrest, and impounded 179 public transport vehicles over the week. Notably, 23 of the 26 arrests made were for driving under the influence of alcohol. Metro police made a significant contribution, arresting 50 suspects and issuing 2 477 fines. One notable arrest occurred in Hanover Park over the weekend, where officers – assisted by the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system – responded to a report of multiple gunshots. A 23-year-old suspect was arrested after being found in possession of a 9mm pistol with a filed-off serial number and 11 rounds of ammunition. Law Enforcement officers were also active, making 159 arrests and issuing 7 021 fines during routine patrols. Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town's Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) fielded 1 632 calls over the weekend, including reports of 110 assaults and 53 vehicle and pedestrian accidents. Residents are reminded to stay alert and report emergencies by calling (021) 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
