MyPE

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

Stop the Killings Build the Station

By

Dear MyPE

The residents of Nelson Mandela Bay’s gang ridden Northern Areas live in constant fear and people, including young children, are dying on a daily basis.

With the country being forced into darkness because of the Eskom loadshedding crisis, caused by the failing ANC government, the construction of a second police station in Bethelsdorp has now become of even more critical importance.

When the lights go out, the criminals come out and violence is the order of the day. In 2015, 80,2% of households in Nelson Mandela Bay said they felt unsafe going out when it was dark.

Just last night three people were killed, execution sign, in Walmer Township, just after the lights went out due to loadshedding.

Today, 21 January 2019, I was joined by DA Federal Chairperson, Athol Trollip, DA EC Deputy Leader, Bobby Stevenson MPL, PE Northern Areas Constituency Leader, Edmund van Vuuren MPL, Team One South Africa Spokesperson for Students, Yusuf Cassim, and community members in marching to the Bethelsdorp Police Station.

I then handed over a memorandum to the Bethelsdorp Station Commander to call for the speedy construction of a second police station in Bethelsdorp.

The latest crime statistics show there is a clear need for additional policing in the area, with Bethelsdorp station in the top 30 stations in the country for murder and attempted murder, and the situation is just getting worse.

It is therefore critical that the second police station in the Bethelsdorp area, be built as a matter of urgency.

The DA first raised the issue of the new police station in the Bethelsdorp area in 2013, in the Provincial Legislature, and the SAPS committed to support the building of this station.

Last year, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality under the then Mayor, Athol Trollip, donated the land and it has been rezoned for that purpose.

But, even with all these interventions, nothing has been done by the failing ANC government to expedite the construction of this station.

The second police station will add much needed resources to this community along with the reintroduction of the specialized units that were done away with by the failing ANC government.

Only a DA government can create an honest and professional police service to safeguard all communities and build One South Africa for All.

Regards

Nqaba Bhanga
DA EC Premier Candidate

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