South African Human Rights Commission chairperson Jody Kollapen expressed concern on Monday at the number of permanent boom gates approved for Johannesburg by its metro council.
”Once granted, boom areas become closed areas because they can’t be monitored,” he cautioned.
”Once permission is granted for one area, it is difficult to deny it elsewhere. A city then Balkanises into cantons.”
Media reports over the weekend said 87 gates had been licensed for two years. Eight more applications were referred for traffic-impact studies and public participation. Another 19, received after the deadline, were still being processed. A further 129 were still with the police for an assessment of crime levels in those areas.
Kollapen said gated communities led to dysfunctional cities and were in general ”something we would not support”.
He said the gates interfered with people’s right to move about freely.
However, there was nothing in law preventing local authorities from authorising boom gates — as long as proper checks and balances and monitoring were in place.
This included that no motorist or pedestrians may be stopped at the booms.
Personnel manning them might at best record the registration number of vehicles.
The asking of names and destinations was not legal as a public road was involved.
Kollapen said the commission was well aware that names and destinations were nevertheless generally asked for. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), tasked with the monitoring function, lacked the resources to do it.
He advised anyone denied entry into a gated area on a public road to report the matter to the JRA.
The SAHRC could also be approached if local authorities failed to act.
Jenny Reid, managing director of a security company, welcomed the council’s decision.
”The big thing about boom gates is that they do not bar access to the roads, but only monitor it in the interests of crime prevention.”
She said her company’s research showed that boom gates, when properly used, had reduced crime by up to 60%.
”Boom gates are not exclusionary, and are wanted by the people they protect.
”They are used by desperate people as means of protecting themselves, and if, used correctly, can even be a great assistance to the police in the common fight against crime.”
Reid rejected assertions that boom gates were a racist practice.
”There are a great many black people living in gated suburbs these days. They are also active members of local community watch organisations, and are ardent supporters of boom gates.” – Sapa