Police minister Bheki Cele, who was in the city after the horror shooting in Kwazakhele on Sunday, has expressed concern about the spike in violent crime that has tarnished the reputation of the “Friendly City”.
In 2022, Walmer Township and surrounds in Gqeberha were plagued by a series of suspected hit murders, while KwaNobuhle in Kariega has become notorious for killings over the past two years.
Meanwhile, gang violence in Gqeberha’s northern areas continues unabated, with at least 19 people killed since the start of January alone.
Cele said certain interventions had been made, but further action was needed.
“The northern areas have been troublesome for some time, and we have tried to respond by establishing a specialised Anti-Gang Unit — only the second of its kind in SA.
“I have also been corresponding with MP [Andrew] Whitfield, and I know a letter has just been given to the national commissioner to act, especially on the situation in the northern areas.”
He said though the main focus in the Eastern Cape had been on crime-plagued Mthatha, he believed criminals were spreading their wings and moving to other regions, which was why townships such as KwaNobuhle, Walmer and Kwazakhele had become the new focal points.
“We will have to reverse this trend emerging here, and we are deploying national resources from various units to the city,” Cele said.
“These could be from crime intelligence, detectives or other units, and we will be adding personnel and material.
“We are responding, and the provincial commissioner has brought the needs of the province to our attention.”
Mayor Retief Odendaal said he was happy to see the police’s response and urgency but wished it had come sooner.
“We have reached out to the national leadership of the SA Police Service on previous occasions because we have seen a number of violent killings, not just in this community but also elsewhere, like the northern areas.
“But we are happy to hear there are firm commitments that he [Cele] will bring resources from outside the metro to try address this issue with the necessary seriousness.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen this type of crime happening in Nelson Mandela Bay and it’s foreign to us.
“We never had these types of shootings in the past, and it is very concerning,” Odendaal said.
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