SURVEILLANCE REVIVAL: NMB’s R6m crime-fighting ‘Loerbroer’ is finally back in action

For five years, Nelson Mandela Bay’s multimillion-rand, high-tech crime-fighting vehicle sat idle while cable thieves, vandals and other criminals ran amok, targeting the city’s key infrastructure.

Now, the R6-million mobile surveillance vehicle (MSV) – better known as Loerbroer – is finally back on the city’s streets, with the municipality promising that its return will give law enforcement a powerful new weapon against the criminals who have been crippling services and costing the city millions.

But its return also comes after years of questions over why one of the metro’s most sophisticated crime-fighting tools was allowed to remain out of action for so long.

Speaking at the vehicle’s relaunch on Thursday, Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe issued a stern warning to those behind infrastructure vandalism and other criminal activity.

“To those who think they can hold this municipality hostage through destruction and sabotage: your time is up,” she said.

The relaunch marks the end of a drawn-out process to get Loerbroer operational again. The vehicle had been out of service for several years because of mechanical and software problems, while replacement components, including cameras, had to be sourced from abroad and officers had to undergo specialised training.

For Gustav Rautenbach, the Democratic Alliance councillor who nicknamed the vehicle “Loerbroer”, its return is the culmination of a five-year campaign to get answers from the municipality.

Rautenbach has repeatedly raised the vehicle’s prolonged absence at metro Safety and Security Committee meetings, pressing officials for updates on when it would be deployed again.

Speaking to Daily Maverick after Thursday’s relaunch, Rautenbach summed up his reaction in two words: “Hallelujah! Finally.”

“It has been a long journey. I hope that the vehicle will be utilised for the purposes that it was acquired for, which is to thwart criminal activity, especially when it comes to municipal assets and stopping vandalism. It should also ideally be utilised for other crimes,” he said.

The City’s MMC for safety and security, Luyanda Lawu, acknowledged Rautenbach’s persistence.

“I know my co-councillor, Councillor Rautenbach; when we get to this item, he will always say: ‘MMC, waar is Loerbroer?’” said Lawu.

“Over a year, criminal activities have become increasingly sophisticated, requiring innovative and intelligence-driven policing. We think [the return to service of Loerbroer] will make a positive impact in trying to reduce crime in Nelson Mandela Bay.”

Lawu appealed to residents not to treat Loerbroer as an enemy when it enters their communities.

He said large law-enforcement vehicles had been viewed with suspicion in some areas and urged residents instead to see Loerbroer as a tool intended to protect them.

“Previously, when people saw trucks like this, we called them ‘dala ihipo’ [slang for Hippos – armoured vehicles used by security forces]; it was seen as an enemy.

“I urge our communities – when they see this mobile truck, they must know it is there for a positive thing. They must not throw stones at it. They must support it and give information about what is happening in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.”

Built to watch the city

The City bought the MSV for about R6-million in 2010, ahead of the Fifa World Cup, aiming to use it to bolster security during the tournament and to continue deploying it afterwards.

The vehicle was subsequently positioned as an important tool in the municipality’s fight against cable theft, infrastructure vandalism and other crimes.

Its surveillance system provides 360-degree, long-range monitoring day and night, including in challenging weather conditions. It can detect a person from up to 10km away and identify someone carrying a firearm at distances of about 3km.

The vehicle effectively operates as a mobile command centre, giving law enforcement a surveillance capability that can be used in crime hotspots and areas where municipal infrastructure is particularly vulnerable.

The municipality has increasingly turned to technology to stay ahead of criminals.

In July, the Mandela Bay Development Agency launched a drone project aimed at strengthening surveillance across the metro.

But while the city can now boast of having its surveillance vehicle back on the road and drones in the sky, another piece of its technology-driven crime-fighting arsenal remains grounded.

One tool back, another still offline

The metro’s gunshot-detection system, once used to provide real-time alerts about gunfire in Helenvale, has been offline since December 2023.

The system had been regarded as a vital tool in responding to shootings in the area, but more than two years later, it remains out of service.

Lobishe said processes were under way to procure the services needed to bring the technology back online.

She could not, however, say when the system was expected to become operational again.

Lobishe said the return of Loerbroer demonstrated the municipality’s “unwavering commitment to strengthen safety, improve tactical visibility, and drastically intensify crime prevention across every corner of this municipality”.

“This mobile surveillance vehicle will fundamentally enhance our law enforcement capabilities,” she said. “Equipped with advanced monitoring technology, it gives our teams the eyes and ears they need to detect criminal behaviour early, deter syndicates before they strike, and dramatically reduce crime levels.”

She described Loerbroer as a mobile command unit capable of helping bridge the gap between municipal departments, metro police and the South African Police Service.

The mayor also pointed to the municipality’s broader investment in technology and security infrastructure, including surveillance drones, fibre infrastructure and CCTV cameras in crime hotspots.

The initiatives form part of what Lobishe described as a broader, integrated approach to public safety.

She referred to the cooperation agreement signed between the municipality and the SAPS at Wolfson Stadium in September 2024, saying the partnership was intended to ensure that the various law-enforcement agencies worked together rather than in isolation.

“By pooling our resources, aligning our intelligence, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder, we ensure that this vehicle becomes an extension of that very promise we made to our people at Wolfson Stadium. We are stronger together, and we will continue to honour that pact to secure our streets,” she said.

The real test starts now

Rautenbach said he hoped the municipality would use the vehicle for the purpose for which it was originally acquired: protecting municipal infrastructure and preventing vandalism, while also deploying it against other forms of crime where its technology could make a difference.

Lobishe acknowledged that technology alone would not solve the metro’s security problems.

The city also needs to fill critical vacancies within its Safety and Security directorate, while ensuring that the equipment it already owns remains operational. DM