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Bloody crime war rages out of control in Nelson Mandela Bay

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Dear Editor

The bloody crime war rages on in Nelson Mandela Bay, with another four people being shot and killed in one incident over the weekend in Gqeberha.

On Sunday, 12 November 2023, four people were killed in Kwadwesi – killings that could have been prevented if the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, had bothered to act on a DA letter requesting urgent intervention last month.

We requested that SAPS deploy specialist resources to deal with the ongoing killings and violent crime in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). It is clear, however, that the lives of the people in Nelson Mandela Bay are not a priority for Minister Cele, as he has not even bothered to respond to the letter sent on 2 October.

There have been several mass killings across Nelson Mandela Bay this year while other categories of violent crime affect every corner of the Metro.

If Minister Cele were truly committed to reducing the violent crime in the city, he would deploy the necessary resources and bring the full force of the law to bear against these violent criminals.

This is why I have asked the Minister to:

  • Double the number of members allocated to the Anti-Gang Unit;
  • Assign the best detectives from around the country to support the SAPS in NMB;
  • Deploy the SAPS National Intervention Unit / Special Task Force in the Northern Areas;
  • Strengthen crime intelligence; and
  • Increase police visibility.

In August, the DA launched a campaign against the rising crime levels in the Metro. With four of the top 30 murder stations in the country located in NMB, it is clear that more needs to be done.

The campaign not only includes a petition that, in due course, will be tabled in Parliament before the police portfolio committee, but also includes stakeholder engagements, public meetings, meetings with Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and neighbourhood watches, and oversight inspections at police stations.

Recently the DA’s motion calling for the development of a Neighbourhood Watch Support Policy to provide strategic direction and support for these vital community structures was adopted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

The war against gangsterism in the Northern Areas of NMB also received a significant boost last month when a motion brought by the DA calling for drastic action to be taken against the rampant violent crime in the area was unanimously passed in the provincial legislature.

The motion called for, among others, a crime summit with all key role players, to provide solutions to the scourge of violent crime.

The DA will continue our fight to rescue Nelson Mandela Bay from the violent criminals holding residents to ransom.

Regards

Andrew Whitfield MP
DA Shadow Minister of Police

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