The Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, says his department will intensify intelligence-driven operations in the gang-ridden northern areas of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
Nqatha was speaking during a crime summit hosted by the department in the area. The area is notorious for gang violence and drug abuse.
The summit is targeting young people in schools and surrounding areas.
Gang violence is still a major concern for residents of Nelson Mandela Bay and comes in many forms, including mass murders, shootings, and drug abuse.
Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, says focusing on the youth is one of the many attempts to try to eradicate crime in the area.
Nqatha says they want to increase intelligence-driven operations.
“From here, we will strengthen the police visibility and the intelligence-driven operations, which are proving to be effective in averting some of the incidents and strengthen collaborations with community structures such as traditional leaders, businesses, and churches. All of them have been playing a role, and we want to escalate that by working together with the municipality.”
Many residents hope this summit will bring about change; however, they doubt any strategies will eliminate gangsterism.
“I hope it makes a difference in the area, which is highly likely to fail because I’ve been to a lot of these summits and meetings. After the summit, everyone will go his or her way, and nothing will happen,” says one of the residents.
Another resident says, “We hope and pray that this summit will help, but the biggest problem lies with the police. If you, for example, call the police because of a shooting in your street, they will not come immediately,” says another resident.
“I am hoping that the summit will somehow help the police and the community work together. Somehow, have the police protect innocent people. So, I am hoping the MEC will give a message to inspire the community,” says another resident.
The MEC says that although they had installed cameras and shot spotters to monitor crime in the initial hotspot areas, they have now noticed that the incidents have moved away from these areas.
Nqatha adds that since they installed cameras and shot spotters to monitor crime in the hotspot areas incidents of wrongdoing have decreased.
Report by Nandipha Plaatjie
