Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Media statements | Safety Media statements

Johannesburg Metro backs down on CCTV by-law after AfriForum took legal action

ByAfriForum 15/08/202515/08/2025

Soundbite: Jacques Broodryk (English)

Soundbite: Jacques Broodryk (Afrikaans)

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has repealed its controversial CCTV by-law, following public pressure from AfriForum and other organisations. In July, AfriForum brought an application in the High Court in Johannesburg to challenge this by-law and requested that it be declared unconstitutional, illegal and invalid. This CCTV by-law sought to regulate and control closed circuit television networks in public spaces and private property, the coverage of which includes public spaces. The use of traditional CCTV cameras, drones, automatic number plate recognition systems and even body cameras would be regulated by this by-law.

In a letter from the Metro’s legal representatives yesterday it was confirmed that the process to repeal the by-law has already been initiated and will go before the Mayoral Committee and then the Municipal Council at the end of August.

“This is a massive win for the people of Johannesburg,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety. “This by-law was nothing more than a blatant power grab to hijack private safety infrastructure. Thanks to this challenge, community safety networks remain in the hands of the communities that built and funded it, and doesn’t land in the hands of a Municipality that consistently fails to keep residents safe.”

“Metros like Johannesburg need to accept the hand of friendship extended by community safety structures and start working with communities and not against them,” concludes Broodryk.

AfriForum emphasised that this outcome proves the importance of civil society standing up against unconstitutional overreach and pledged to continue defending community safety structures across South Africa.