Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner General Khehla John Sitole, have taken a strong stance against the on-going violence, drug smuggling and gangsterism in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth.
They are visiting the area after residents called for action as gang violence continues to escalate in these communities; Minister Cele announced immediate action plans.
“By the time we leave here, we will have a task team. It is multi-disciplined, but we cannot tell how it will be formulated, but there are different components like the crime intervention unit, people who will work with other teams.We want to curb deaths and the movement of drugs and make sure that the people have a safe festive season. There are units that are not local like the national intervention unit. So it will be a combination that will come to strengthen the task team.”
Eastern Cape MPL Christian Martin, who is also a Khoisan leader, welcomed the action plans, but said more is needed in the troubled community to root out problems.
“For us one of the most important things, high on our priority list, is a police station that should be built within that area of Bethelsdorp, especially in the Booysens Park area, which should serve extension 31 and 32. That is where the most things are taking place. The police would talk about the trio crimes: housebreaking, hi jacking and gangsterism. The Bethelsdorp police station is under duress and stress. They get up to 28 000 calls a year from one police station it shows you!”
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