The National Assembly has officially adopted the Portfolio Committee on Police’s report on the DA’s petition calling for urgent intervention in the gang violence crisis in the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay. This marks a decisive step forward in holding national government accountable for delivering safety and justice to one of the country’s most deeply afflicted communities.
The daily reality faced by residents, where shootings, extortion and drug trafficking have become a norm, has continued unabated for years. Children grow up dodging bullets, families mourn loved ones, and entire streets live under the control of organised crime syndicates.
Between 2019 and 2025, over 1,000 gang-related killings have been recorded, including 39 children in the last two financial years alone.
The DA’s petition, submitted earlier this year, forced Parliament to confront this long-ignored crisis. Today’s adoption of the report, following my powerful testimony to the Portfolio Committee in May, gives formal weight to a series of urgent recommendations that the Minister of Police is now obliged to implement.
The DA thanks all political parties that stood with the people of the Northern Areas by supporting this resolution. The broad support across party lines demonstrates that this crisis transcends politics. We note, with disappointment, that the MK Party was the only party that rejected the petition.
The adopted report directs SAPS to address the collapse of the Anti-Gang Unit and Crime Intelligence in Nelson Mandela Bay, with a full progress update required by the end of July. It also calls for prioritised forensic processing in drug-related cases, tougher oversight of officer misconduct, and a formal review of the country’s bail system in relation to gang and drug offences.
The DA will monitor each of these directives to ensure that they do not become another set of broken promises. Our communities have been failed too many times. We will hold the Minister of Police and SAPS leadership accountable for every step of this process.
The people of the Northern Areas deserve safety and dignity. Their voices have finally been heard, not just by one party, but by a Parliament united in purpose.
The DA remains committed to communities where people are protected, not abandoned. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on security, justice and honest government.