Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has assured residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMB) that crime will be tackled through the deployment of officers from the national police intelligence force.
Already, 301 police officers have been deployed across the metro in the last month, said Major General Nomthetheleli Mene, Eastern Cape police commissioner.
Mchunu and Mene made this commitment today, August 16, during a ministerial Community Imbizo in Soweto on Sea, Gqeberha.
This would be Mchunu’s second visit to the Metro in less than a month.
The announcement of the deployment of additional police members comes amid concerns raised by frustrated communities and church leaders about the lack of police visibility in the metro.
The metro finds itself in the grip of a rise in drug-related crimes in Central, Gqeberha, gun violence—particularly in churches and schools—and insurance-related crimes in areas such as New Brighton, Motherwell, and Gqeberha’s Northern Areas.
Xola Yana, a concerned community member, expressed his distress over the severe drug issues plaguing Central, saying that these problems have caused him many sleepless nights.
“They are selling drugs, and our children are dying because of them,” he said.
“Our children are being sold into prostitution, and the police are accepting bribes,” he continued, as the crowd cheered him on.
Mene admitted that the Nelson Mandela Metro, including the Buffalo City Metro and the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality (KSD), were among the province’s crime hotspots.
She revealed to community members that the Nelson Mandela Metro was the district with the most police members for the 2024/2025 financial year.
Mene says this allocation proves their commitment to ensuring the safety of Metro residents.
According to Mchunu, he gets a sense that residents feel restricted by crime.
To capacitate the police, Mchunu says police will be working with the Metro police.
“We are seeking a cooperation agreement, particularly with the metro and the metro police because we want to increase personnel, and this is a practical way to increase our personnel,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu stated that special operations personnel will be deployed to support the Metro’s commissioner and provide specialised tactics to address crime in the Metro.
“We want to fight crime here, have an impact, and have outcomes in the shortest amount of time,” he added.
