MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Life sentence for murderer of NMB teenager

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Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the life sentence handed down to the killer of 17-year-old Zavier Jassen, who was gunned down in 2018 in Nelson Mandela Bay’s Northern Areas.

Zavier, a learner at Gelvandale High School, needlessly lost his life in suspected gang-violence and was fatally shot in front of his family home in Helenvale.

Today I attended the sentencing of Neville Von Belling, Zavier’s murderer. I can attest that although the wheels of justice turn slowly, they do indeed turn – justice has finally prevailed, and Zavier’s murderer will spend the rest of his life in jail.

We cannot allow innocent young people like Zavier to continue becoming statistics.

Senseless violence is running rampant in the Northern Areas, and it is clear that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is losing the battle against gangsters and other criminals here. They are under-resourced, under-trained, under-equipped and under-staffed.

While it may be the police losing the war, it is the residents who are the victims, with vulnerable youths like Zavier who are falling prey to the gang-violence plaguing these communities.

It is for this reason that, during the DA and its coalition partners’ tenure in government, we introduced new crime-fighting technologies, such as shot-spotter in Helenvale. It proved to be a great success and, within 90 days of its installation, gunshots in the area were reduced by 90%.

Sadly, this project has since fallen by the wayside under the ANC-led coalition of corruption. The DA, when back in government, will ensure that it is implemented immediately.

We will continue to fight for additional resources to be made available for the people of the Northern Areas, who spend their days living in fear, hostages in their own homes, while violent criminals who roam their streets.

Under a DA government, safety plans can be implemented immediately that will contribute to residents once again feeling safe in their communities.

Together we can move Nelson Mandela Bay forward again.

Regards

Cllr Nqaba Bhanga
DA EC Provincial Leader and NMB Mayoral Candidate

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