Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, has commended the Eastern Cape MEC for Community Safety, Xolile Nqatha and national government for the swift and decisive intervention in deploying additional police resources to strengthen crime-fighting efforts in the region.
This follows the arrival of 150 public order police members, including 15 detectives, and crime intelligence officers, who arrived in the metro on Sunday to provide much-needed support to local law enforcement.
In a statement on Monday, Lobishe said the strategic intervention comes at a critical time when the latest crime statistics position Nelson Mandela Bay as a focal point for criminal activity in South Africa.
"The deployment of these additional resources will enhance policing visibility, improve intelligence-led operations, and bolster investigations to ensure that criminals are swiftly brought to justice. Public safety remains a top priority, and we are confident that this initiative will contribute significantly to restoring law and order in our city,” Lobishe said.
She said the newly deployed officers will be strategically stationed in key crime hotspots throughout Nelson Mandela Bay, including KwaZakhele, New Brighton, Helenvale, Gelvandale, Central and North End, Motherwell, Uitenhage, and Despatch.
On 12 March 2025, MEC Nqatha released the Eastern Cape’s crime statistics, which indicated an increase in criminal activity within Nelson Mandela Bay.
Despite a 7.1% decrease in serious crime for the second quarter of the financial year, the region accounted for 23.4% of the province's total serious crime cases.
Crime trends showed an increase in incidents, including attempted murder (+9.0%), assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (+3.5%), and the trio crimes of carjacking, house robbery, and business robbery (+2.4%), as well as a notable rise in house robberies (+14.9%).
However, the city also witnessed a decrease in certain crimes, including aggravating robberies (-3.4%), common robberies (-2.4%), sexual offences (-6.4%), and business robberies (-9.1%).
For the third quarter of 2024/2025, Nelson Mandela Bay also showed a reduction in serious crimes, contributing to a 13.5% decrease in reported cases, while still representing 22.5% of the region's total serious crime reports.
Lobishe stressed that the district remained a focal point for crime, with significant decreases in common assault and aggravating robberies.
“The most problematic police stations for serious crimes and rape cases in the region remain consistent with the second quarter, underscoring ongoing challenges with law enforcement in specific areas of the metro.
“Additionally, the province has seen a rise in incidents of gang violence and extortion, particularly in areas such as the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Community members are living in fear, as criminals are determined to disturb the peace of our people,” the Mayor said. – SAnews.gov.za
