Rumours of a syndicate watching children on GoPro cameras in
Durbanville spread like wildfire on Monday 10 September after a mother spotted
someone putting up such a camera on a pole.
According to the rumour distributed in Whatsapp groups, a
GoPro camera was found on a pole outside Durbanville Primary School. The mother
then shortly after spotted a “suspicious” man where he was busy attaching a
GoPro camera to a pole at the Durbanville Children’s Home.
She alerted the staff at the children’s home and the camera
was taken off. Parents, grandparents, caretakers and teachers were all warned
in a Whatsapp message to be on high alert.
“The syndicates are watching our children before they steal
the poor little ones (‘lyfies’). It is happening here under our noses…”, the
message reads.
According to Rudolf Bezuidenhout, manager of the Durbanville
Children’s Home, it is true that a GoPro camera was found attached to a pole in
front of the home.
However, it was installed on the pole – and on a pole at
Durbanville Primary – as part of traffic assessesment for a development
application, he said.
“We immediately had it removed when it came under our
attention, not knowing why it was there.
“The owner of the camera came to the children’s home the
next day (Tuesday) to get his camera back. I explained to him that it is not
allowed for our children to be photographed or for videos to be taken of them.
“He was quite agitated that we had taken his camera off the
pole, but he did not even ask our permission [to install it],” Bezuidenhout
said.
“Is this even legal to just erect a camera anywhere? The
parents were rightfully upset. In these times where child theft is rife, one
cannot just put a camera somewhere without upsetting people,” he said.
Bezuidenhout was notified by Carin Viljoen, Subcouncil 7
manager, that the cameras were put up as part of the assessment of the traffic
in the area.
