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Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson Requested To Conduct Oversight In Crime-Ridden

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Dear Editor

The recent mass killing of four people in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha has yet again highlighted that immediate intervention is needed and not talk shops and empty promises by the Minister of Police or the MEC for Community Safety.

During his recent community engagement in the Metro the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, promised to deploy more boots on the ground and crime fighting experts to Nelson Mandela Bay. However, grand crime fighting commitments have been made in the past that were either not the correct interventions, or not properly implemented.

The Minister announced that an additional 301 police officers had already been deployed to Nelson Mandela Bay. This, however, is not an intervention, as it forms part of the SAPS annual deployment of 10 000 recruits across the country, and is the number of officers that was already allocated to NMB.

Minister Mchunu’s plan to rope in 300 additional safety and security officers from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the EC Department of Community Safety has also gone up in smoke, as I received confirmation from the EC Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, that there is no money available in Nelson Mandela Bay, or the provincial Department of Community Safety to facilitate the deployment of additional officers.

The commitments made by the Minister raise more questions than answers and Parliament must now step in and fulfil its oversight role.

I have written to the Parliamentary Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ian Cameron MP, requesting him to visit the Northern Areas and Nelson Mandela Bay to conduct an oversight inspection over the practical implementation of commitments made, and to also speak to communities about their safety needs.

He has confirmed receipt of my letter and a request will now be sent to the chair of chairs for the consideration of an oversight inspection.

According to police statistics, between 2021 and 2023, more than 88% of all gang violence in Nelson Mandela Bay occurred in the Northern Areas. A group of activist crime researchers in the Northern Areas, who remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, has also revealed to the DA that close to 1000 residents of the Northern Areas have been murdered since 2019.

Crime is spiralling out of control and law enforcement alone cannot win the fight against gangsterism and violent crime – a multi-disciplinary approach led by Parliament is needed to battle this scourge.

The DA will continue the fight to rescue the people of the Northern Areas and Nelson Mandela Bay from the grip of gangsterism and violent crime. Together, we aim to bring about a safer and more secure future.

Regards

Yusuf Cassim MPL
PE Northern Areas Constituency Leader

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