Johannesburg’s city council has voted to scrap a contentious by-law requiring private security cameras to be registered, inspected, and regulated by city authorities, following a fierce backlash from residents, businesses, and civil society.

The so-called “Privately-Owned Closed-Circuit Television Surveillance Camera By-Law,” adopted in February 2025, would have forced property owners and businesses to register every CCTV camera, submit certified plans, pay annual fees, and provide recorded footage to the City of Johannesburg on demand.

Under the regulation, residents would also have been prohibited from sharing their own footage with third parties, sparking immediate concerns about privacy rights and the burden of red tape.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) and the SA Property Owners Association both responded swiftly by launching separate court applications to challenge the by-law in July. OUTA argued that the regulation would have trampled on individual rights, increased costs for households and businesses, and done little to actually improve public safety.

Faced with mounting legal and public pressure, the Johannesburg city council has repealed the by-law, effectively ending the need for residents to comply with its strict provisions. OUTA has since announced that it will withdraw its litigation but still plans to seek a costs order, criticising the City for what it described as “choosing to fight” rather than address valid concerns.

The episode marks a win for civic action in the face of regulatory overreach, with OUTA Executive Director of Accountability, Advocate Stefanie Fick, saying: “Repealing this bylaw is a victory for common sense. It was never about public safety – it was about squeezing law-abiding residents for more money.”