The Democratic Alliance has called for the seventh administration to prioritise addressing the ongoing violent crime in Nelson Mandela Bay, particularly the ongoing gang violence in the Northern Areas, after commitments from the previous Police Minister, Bheki Cele, and Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, have failed to materialise.

While the national and provincial governments have failed to act, violent crime continues to plague the streets of the Metro, claiming countless innocent lives, like the life of 23-year-old Charlene Malgas and her unborn child, who was gunned down in broad daylight in Helenvale, or Khazimla and Zusange Bulo, viciously stabbed to death on their way to the shop in Soweto-on-Sea.

The people of Nelson Mandela Bay deserve better. I have written to the new police minister, Senzo Mchunu, and the new Speaker of the National Assembly, Thokozile Didiza, to reiterate the DA’s call for urgent intervention in Nelson Mandela Bay, particularly in the Northern Areas, for this crisis to be place on the agenda of the Portfolio Committee of Police in the National Assembly and for the new administration prioritise the matter.

Download letters here and here.

The DA is calling for Minister Mchunu to double the number of members allocated to the Anti-Gang Unit, assign the best detectives from around the country to support the SAPS in Nelson Mandela Bay, and deploy the SAPS National Intervention Unit /Special Task Force in the Northern Areas.

We are also calling for strengthening crime intelligence, increasing police visibility and implementing crime-fighting technology such as drones, CCTV cameras, and ShotSpotter technology without delay.

A report prepared by the Mexican Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice (CPSC) recently ranked Nelson Mandela Bay as the most dangerous city in South Africa.

The report stated that with 78,33 murders per 100,000 people in 2023, Nelson Mandela Bay slipped into the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world, with only cities from Mexico, Haiti and Ecuador being more dangerous.

Between 2021 and 2023, more than 88% of all gang-related violence in Nelson Mandela Bay occurred in the Northern Areas. Over this period, 361 shooting incidents related to gang violence were reported, 319 of which were reported in the Northern Areas. This resulted in 180 individuals being killed, of which 22 were children.

The DA will continue the fight to rescue the people of the Northern Areas from the grip of gangsterism and violent crime. Together, we aim to bring about a safer, more secure future where families and communities no longer live in fear.

English