File photo
Whether it is late-night ice cream at the beachfront or a brisk Sunday morning walk to the Pier, Gqeberha's prime tourist attraction is just not safe anymore.
These are the sentiments of several residents in the city, including the Ward Councillor for the Summerstrand area, Renaldo Gouws, who has long been asking for a dedicated "Tourism Protection Unit".
This follows the latest attack along the popular beachfront on Sunday morning that left a 62-year-old woman in hospital.
The victim was walking along Beach Road in Humewood shortly after 8 am when an unknown man suddenly appeared.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu says when the woman screamed she was pushed by the suspect and subsequently fell on her back, hitting her head on the pavement.
She says the man stabbed her in her hand before stealing her cellphone and running towards Walmer Boulevard.
The complainant's partner arrived at the scene and took her to hospital.
No arrests have been made and a case of armed robbery is under investigation.
In May this year, another brazen attack at the beachfront left a family traumatized when a father was attacked by a knife-wielding man just meters away from the Pier.
