In response to whistle-blower complaints and a lack of confidence in the South African Police Service, Corruption Watch (CW) has launched an interactive open data tool which aims to improve transparency in policing in the country and places the power to hold the SAPS accountable in the hands of the public.
The tool, Veza, which is the colloquial term for “reveal” or “expose” is the first of its kind in South Africa and was developed after engagements with CW and many communities facing police violence and abuse.
The Veza tool provides information at national, provincial and district levels. It features interactive maps of police corruption trends and hotspots, information relating to the public’s rights when encountering the police in various situations, and data on all 1,150 police stations across the country such as locations, resources, budget and personnel.
It also enables users to commend honest and ethical police officers, and report incidents of corruption and police misconduct which are immediately geo-located through the tool.
The tool is currently available for use and can be found at www.veza.org.za.
