Hardly a day goes by in Nelson Mandela Bay without this newspaper reporting on a murder or kidnapping.
It has become so commonplace that readers of The Herald would often remark that they are “tired of all the bad news”.
Indeed, residents of the Bay are tired of all the bad news, but ignoring it — or choosing not to report on it — will not make it go away.
Crime in our beloved city is completely out of control.
But what is even more frightening is that the law enforcement structures appear to be wholly inept to deal with the problem.
Last week, we reported on the murder of 21-year-old rugby player Allezahr “LangNaweek” de Bruin in his home.
He was shot multiple times in the head and upper body.
Though the motive for the attack is still under police investigation, it is believed De Bruin was an eyewitness to a murder in 2024.
We think about the murder of prosecutor Tracy Brown in what was an apparent hit, and then the attempted murder of another Bay prosecutor in Kariega last week.
When will it end?
Justice & constitutional development minister Mmamoloko Kubayi spoke last week about the urgent need to deal with security concerns at the New Brighton court.
Though those must be urgently addressed, the problems are not only at the court, but rather in the breakdown of the fabric of our society which has shattered our sense of security.
Those prosecutors were attacked near their homes, not at the courts, and therein lies the problem — people are not safe in their homes because the criminals have become so emboldened that they no longer care about who sees them.
Our police are poorly resourced and they are simply too overwhelmed to deal with the quagmire they are confronted with.
The public is facing an onslaught from criminals — from the taxi industry to those meant to uphold the law, business owners and even innocent young people in their prime.
The Bay needs attention from the very top of the police and Hawks command to send a strong message to criminals that they are not in charge.
Are those at the very top hearing our cries?
The Herald
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