Police Minister Bheki Cele and Eastern Cape Police Commissioner, General Kale Sheltie, will return to Port Elizabeth for a community engagement on addressing gang-related crime and killings in the city’s northern areas.
They deployed a multi-disciplinary task team after residents called for action.
At least 10 people have been killed in gang-related shootings last month.
Member of the Eastern Cape legislature, Christian Martin, spent a couple of nights outside the office of the Premier, highlighting the escalating gang violence in the northern areas.
He says while the task team is welcome, a police station is also needed.
“For us one of the must important thing, high on our priority list, is a police station that should be build within that area of Bethelsdorp, especially in the Boysens 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.”
Last week, Cele has launched the “traditional policing” initiative at Nqadu great place in the Eastern Cape. It involves a partnership between police and traditional leaders to fight crime in rural areas.
A police contact centre has also been opened. Each police contact point will have a police van that will assist to conduct patrols and apprehend suspects. Cele has urged police and communities to work together to reduce crime…
“Indeed we want to escalate our gratefulness to the police for working with communities and working with the kings and queens trying to prevent and protect and making sure that criminals do not have a space. Fighting crime is for everybody starting with us South African police and individuals such as you and everybody else.”
