In response to the many complaints received on police corruption, Corruption Watch (CW) has developed a new platform – Veza – designed to improve transparency in policing in the country.
It will place the power back in the hands of the public to hold the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable, says CW’s head of stakeholder relations and campaigns, Kavisha Pillay.
This interactive open data tool was inspired by engagements with communities experiencing police violence and was developed in response to the many complaints received on police corruption, he adds.
Veza, meaning ‘expose’ or ‘reveal’, provides information at national, provincial and district level.
“Public adoption will determine the power of this tool, and the more it is used and information shared, the more involved the public will become in how their communities are policed and protected around the country,” he points out.
“Veza offers many features - including integration with Google Maps – which enables us to use geolocation with various data sources to plot police corruption trends and hotspots as well as information on all 1 150 police stations across the country, such as contact information, resources, budget and personnel.”
The platform was developed by Bluegrass Digital, and according to CEO Nick Durrant, nothing like it exists on the African continent. “And from our research, not many countries around the world have platforms for their citizens to access information like this.”
It will place the power back in the hands of the public to hold the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable, says CW’s head of stakeholder relations and campaigns, Kavisha Pillay.
This interactive open data tool was inspired by engagements with communities experiencing police violence and was developed in response to the many complaints received on police corruption, he adds.
Veza, meaning ‘expose’ or ‘reveal’, provides information at national, provincial and district level.
“Public adoption will determine the power of this tool, and the more it is used and information shared, the more involved the public will become in how their communities are policed and protected around the country,” he points out.
“Veza offers many features - including integration with Google Maps – which enables us to use geolocation with various data sources to plot police corruption trends and hotspots as well as information on all 1 150 police stations across the country, such as contact information, resources, budget and personnel.”
The platform was developed by Bluegrass Digital, and according to CEO Nick Durrant, nothing like it exists on the African continent. “And from our research, not many countries around the world have platforms for their citizens to access information like this.”
