amaBhungane – the center for investigative journalism warns that there are strong signs of increasing Gang activity in Nelson Mandela Bay saying that the Port Elizabeth suburbs of Gelvandale and Bethelsdorp are leading the violent trend. Police say that 21 gangs operate in these areas alone.
This year these two precincts took pole position in the Eastern Cape for all gang related crimes.
Read the full report here: http://amabhungane.co.za/article/2016-12-12-mandela-bay-gangsters-style-themselves-after-western-cape-numbers-gangs
According to Africa Check, murder and serious assaults increase by up to 50% in December.
According to amaBhungane the disbanding of Operation Lockdown in September 2016 after it had run it’s operational course of six months is a contributing factor to the renewed upsurge in gangsterism and violence.
Hampering police investigations and arrests are the gangsters hold on the community who hid the firearms and drugs of the gang lords and sometimes remove vital evidence from crime scenes. It has been alleged that innocent residents are offered large sums of money to hide guns and drugs which makes them complicit in criminal activities and soft targets for informants which begins the cycle of criminality for otherwise innocent bystanders.
One police official is on record saying that an abnormal increase in crime is expected this festive season as the cessation of Operation Lockdown has opened the gates to gangs who experienced a drop in revenue during Operation Lockdown. This, combined with an increase in leisure time, bonuses and 13th cheques as well as accelerated drinking all contribute to a powder keg of opportunity for criminals and gangs.
With little to no prospect of furthering their tertiary education school leavers also quickly realise that crime pays faster.
Exacerbating the situation is the reported shortage of vehicles at Flying Squad with some reports saying that only one vehicle was available to cover the entire city.
One needs to question why Operation Lockdown only ran for six months – Was it due to pressure from Provincial or National government in the lead up to Municipal elections? It does seem strange that the Police would be so arrogant to believe that they could clear and normalise an area within six months.
What is true is that the murder tally for the Bethelsdorp and Gelvandale precincts has risen – from 98 in the 12 months ending March 2013 to 217 in the 12 months ending March 2016.
It is estimated that 800 gang members from Upstand Dogs, Dustlifes, Spotbouers or Kakmakers have a foothold in all 17 of the Northern suburbs.
That these gang members continue to have a hold over 17 600 odd Bethelsdorp residents is surely a strong indicator of how deeply the roots of these gangs extend into daily life and the iron grip that they have over citizens.
The outraged amongst us will all be saying; “If we know how many and who they are let’s just chuck them in jail!” There is one small problem with that – our prisons are a tad overcrowded with St Albans housing 5 082 inmates with only 3 103 beds available. Prisoners sleep in shifts (or cuddle with their new wives!)
Alan Straton
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