MyPE

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

Mayor Will be Held Accountable for Christmas Promise

By

Dear Editor

The DA’s persistent efforts to combat escalating crime in Nelson Mandela Bay are yielding results, with NMB Mayor Gary van Niekerk acknowledging several motions we submitted to the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee over the past 12 months.

In today’s council meeting, Mayor Van Niekerk recognised our motions and reiterated that they will be implemented by 25 December 2024 – indeed, a potential Christmas miracle if this deadline is met in a metro described in a global report as the most dangerous city in South Africa.

The key motions submitted by the DA over the past 12 months include:

  • Repair and Deploy the Mobile Surveillance Vehicle: This crucial tool will enable real-time monitoring and response to criminal activities. When deployed, the vehicle can track individuals up to 10 km away, record clear video footage from 7 km, and identify if someone is carrying a firearm from 3 km away.
    Implement ShotSpotter Technology: This technology will significantly enhance our capacity to detect and respond to gun-related crimes in real-time.
  • Fix CCTV Cameras Across the City: Improving our CCTV infrastructure will bolster surveillance capabilities and facilitate important information sharing with responding units, including SAPS, Metro Police, and NMBM Security.
  • Reintroduce Speed Enforcement: This initiative aims to enhance road safety, reduce accidents and fatalities, ensure compliance with traffic laws, and protect pedestrians.

During the council meeting, we also reiterated our call for urgent attention to the Neighbourhood Watch Support Policy, a motion submitted by the DA over a year ago. Collaborating with Neighbourhood Watch groups will strengthen safety and security in the city, as these members serve as effective deterrents against crime.

Mayor Van Niekerk has a history of making Christmas-related promises that do not come to fruition, such as the promise to fix all potholes in the metro by 25 December 2023 – a commitment that remains unfulfilled, evident in the state of many roads in NMB.

Across the metro, residents are being held ransom by criminals who act with impunity, endangering lives and safety.

The commitment to transform NMB into the safest metro in the country within two months carries significant weight. Mayor Van Niekerk cannot simply shrug off or make excuses if he fails to meet this ambitious goal.

We will hold the mayor accountable, as the people of Nelson Mandela Bay deserve to live in a safe city where their future and that of their children are assured.

Regards

Cllr Jason Grobbelaar
DA NMB Spokesperson for Safety and Security

The following two tabs change content below.

Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.