The past two days have seen Nelson Mandela Bay gripped by violent protest action linked to service delivery failures, endangering lives and livelihoods. A bus was torched and a truck stoned in separate incidents yesterday, with major roads such as the R75 blocked by burning tyres. Today, a truck was torched on the R75 near Westville, and access routes to Kariega were again blocked with burning tyres.
While the right to protest is constitutionally protected, that right cannot come at the expense of the safety and dignity of others. Families, commuters, and businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay now face heightened danger on their daily routes as criminal elements exploit legitimate grievances to unleash violence and destruction.
Ordinary people, who bear no responsibility for failed service delivery, are left to carry the cost.
Workers are unable to reach their jobs, children are delayed getting to school, and goods cannot reach their destinations. These disruptions place further strain on an already fragile local economy.
The Democratic Alliance is clear that such attacks cannot be tolerated. I will be writing to Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso, to request the immediate deployment of additional public order policing resources to Nelson Mandela Bay to restore calm and protect residents.
If Nelson Mandela Bay is to avoid further escalation, police resources must be prioritised where unrest is most likely to occur. Strengthening public order policing will ensure protests remain lawful and that residents are not held hostage by those who resort to violence.
Order must be restored so that people can move freely, earn their living, and go about their lives without fear. Only then can dignity and stability return to Nelson Mandela Bay.
The DA remains committed to building a safer Eastern Cape where communities can rely on accountable leadership and a police service equipped to protect them. The people of our province deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on dignity, opportunity, and honest government.