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Festive season safety plan will not resolve underlying systemic issues in EC crime plague

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Dear Editor

The Eastern Cape faces an alarming surge in violent crime and gender-based violence (GBV), leaving communities in a state of constant fear. This rising tide of brutality highlights a critical failure in the province’s current approach to crime prevention. The annual festive season launches present a facade of safety, but there is a clear lack of specialised, coordinated resources necessary to address the real threats affecting our communities.

Despite recent efforts, crime levels are unacceptably high, jeopardising our communities and the province’s reputation as a holiday destination, particularly along the scenic Wild Coast, where tourism operators have reported a concerning dip in bookings due to security concerns. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve tangible results, not just seasonal displays of force. The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for decisive action beyond temporary measures to deliver long-lasting safety outcomes.

We call for an integrated, multi-agency crime strategy involving SAPS specialised units, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the Department of Justice and Correctional Services. Effective crime prevention and swift prosecution require these entities to work together, ensuring that perpetrators face immediate and uncompromising justice.

We need a tourism task force for our province that must work hand in hand with tourism operators to restore confidence in our tourism sector. Critical interventions to safeguard tourists in places like Nelson Mandela Bay, including dedicated beachfront policing units comprising of police, Metro Police and the traffic department, must be prioritised.

Token deployments of national intervention units or additional police officers will not curb the severity of crime in our province. What is needed is a robust, specialised capacity dedicated to both prevention and prosecution. The DA also insists that cases of violent crime and GBV are prioritised and fast-tracked to send the message that crime has consequences.

Justice for victims and communities must be relentless, leaving no room for complacency or delay.

We call on Finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko to correct the provincial budget’s gross underfunding of the Department of Community Safety. With only R144.84 million allocated to this essential department—just 0.15% of the total budget—the provincial government has shown a worrying lack of commitment to community safety. In stark contrast, the Western Cape’s allocation of R763.4 million demonstrates what a dedicated commitment to reducing crime should look like.

Additionally, we demand immediate investment in surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, particularly for rural areas where limited police presence enables criminals to act with impunity. Advanced technologies have been effective in the Western Cape, where crime prevention and offender apprehension have been dramatically enhanced, and we expect the same measures to be implemented here.

The DA remains steadfast in its commitment to a safer Eastern Cape. This festive season, let us not rely on temporary displays of force, but instead demand long-term, actionable solutions that make our province a place of safety, stability, and opportunity for all. We call on the provincial government to prioritise these approaches, allowing for a secure, enjoyable holiday season and beyond.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Community Safety

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Port Elizabethan

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