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Rename Gqeberha Road In Honour Of Fallen Police Hero

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Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality renames a well-known road in the Northern Areas of the city in honour of a young police officer who was tragically slain last year.

We have written to Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, requesting that Kobus Road be renamed Callan Andrews Drive in honour of this fallen police hero. The DA will also be submitting a motion requesting the name change at the next ordinary Nelson Mandela Bay Council meeting.

Const. Callan Andrews was senselessly gunned down in December 2024 when his assigned police vehicle malfunctioned. Const. Andrews was shot and killed while pushing the vehicle.

Not only is this name change fitting of an officer who vowed to serve and protect, but it also serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed by criminal enterprises that continue to ravage Nelson Mandela Bay.

The DA will not allow the tragic and brutal killing of a police officer with a bright future ahead of him to become just another statistic.

We call on the mayor and the municipality’s Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture Directorate to prioritise the name change as a matter of urgency.

Last month, the DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson, Yusuf Cassim MPL, also moved a motion that was unanimously passed in the Eastern Cape Legislature, making the following a resolution of the House:

  • Conveying the official condolences of the Eastern Cape Legislature to the family of Const. Andrews.
  • Demanding a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Const. Andrews, a briefing on the state of police vehicles, and a review of social crime prevention programs.

Crime in Nelson Mandela Bay has been spiralling out of control for years, creating an abnormal situation that has claimed countless innocent lives. Residents live in constant fear as criminals and gangsters run rampant without fear of reprisal.

The police are understaffed and under-resourced, and they are losing the battle against crime in Nelson Mandela Bay. It will take a whole-of-society approach to rescue our city from gangsters and other violent criminals.

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

Regards

Cllr Rano Kayser
DA NMB Caucus Leader

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