The confirmation of yet another kidnapping in Gqeberha is a chilling reminder that organised criminal networks continue to operate with alarming boldness in our communities. The abduction of a 44-year-old man from Glendinningvale has once again shattered any illusion of safety for families across Nelson Mandela Bay.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety, working with SAPS and the Hawks, take immediate, coordinated action to dismantle kidnapping syndicates operating in the Metro.
This requires decisive leadership, stronger intelligence sharing and operations, and an operational plan that goes beyond reaction to prevention.
It is unacceptable that residents continue to live under siege while the government’s response remains piecemeal and reactive. The DA has already tabled a motion in the Provincial Legislature for the establishment of a 24-hour joint operations centre in Nelson Mandela Bay, bringing together SAPS, the Hawks, Metro Police, and the NPA to coordinate intelligence and accelerate investigations.
We also reiterate our call for the formal integration of private security firms into the province’s crime-fighting strategy. Previous breakthroughs in kidnapping cases have shown that collaboration with professional security partners delivers results that the government alone has failed to achieve.
The DA is also calling on Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to increase the capacity of crime intelligence in our province, as he has been directed to do by a resolution of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police following a DA community petition.
The people of Nelson Mandela Bay deserve to live free from fear. Each day of delay puts more lives at risk. The DA will continue to fight for safer communities, where every resident can walk the streets, run their business, and raise their family in peace and dignity.