MyPE

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

NMB Mayor’s negligence puts beachfront safety and security in jeopardy

By

Dear Editor

Nelson Mandela Bay residents and tourists are being let down during the busiest and most critical time of the year, as the promised Beachfront Joint-Ops Centre remains non-operational.

The centre, meant to safeguard public safety and coordinate rapid responses to incidents, is vital during the festive season when the beachfront sees its highest foot traffic. Instead, residents and visitors are now left exposed to potential safety and security risks, highlighting a significant failure of leadership and planning.

Yesterday, I was joined by Ward 1 and Ward 2 Councillors Sean Tappan and Dries van der Westhuizen to conduct an oversight visit to the NMBM Beachfront Safety Sector Joint-Ops office. This visit comes after growing concerns from residents who do not see the Beachfront Joint-Ops Centre operational. This is despite the announcement made by Mayor Babalwa Lobishe at the launch of the Summer Season Safety Plan, which stated it would be open from 6 December 2024.

To our shock, the building that should serve as the nerve centre for beachfront safety was locked and empty. No Safety and Security staff were present, leaving residents, tourists, and businesses vulnerable during the peak holiday season.

This failure lies squarely at the feet of the Mayor, whose decision to launch the Summer Season Plan without consulting the Safety and Security portfolio Councillors has proven reckless and irresponsible.

During our visit, we were informed of an incident that occurred the day before, in which a person was robbed of their cell phone and R400. The municipal cleaner who witnessed the crime had to take it upon himself to intervene and recover the stolen items. This incident shows how the mayor’s plan is just a plan without implementation or following up on whether it is in place. She does not know what is going on.

The Mayor’s approach to the Summer Season Plan, ignoring councillors’ input and bypassing established processes, is a blatant dereliction of duty. This lack of leadership has exposed Nelson Mandela Bay’s most valuable public spaces to unnecessary risks and putting the safety of residents and visitors into jeopardy.

The Mayor must take full responsibility for the state of affairs and act immediately to:

  • Ensure the Ops room is fully functional without delay, with the deployment of necessary staff and resources;
  • Enhance Beachfront Security: Visible patrolling and safety measures must be implemented immediately to protect residents and visitors;
  • Put measures in place for centralised reporting and responding to incidents.

This level of neglect is unacceptable. The mayor has failed the people of Nelson Mandela Bay, placing our reputation as a holiday destination at risk. We demand decisive leadership and action now before further harm is done. The promises made in the Mayor’s speeches regarding the Summer Season Safety Plan must be upheld.

The safety of our residents and visitors is non-negotiable. We call on the Mayor and municipal leadership to take swift and decisive action to rectify this and ensure that the promises made in the Summer Season Safety Plan are upheld.

The DA will continue to fight for you, demanding better services and holding this government to account.

Regards

Cllr Jason Grobbelaar
DA NMBM Spokesperson on 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.