The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape is calling for the Parliamentary Police Portfolio Chairperson Ian Cameron, to visit the crime ridden Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay.
This request was made the DA's constituency leader for the Northern Areas Yusuf Cassim on Thursday after yet another mass killing in the community.
Cassim says he wants Cameron to conduct an oversight visit and speak to communities about their safety needs.
This request comes after the police minister Senzo Mchunu led a community engagement last week where he promised residents that 301 police officers would be deployed to the bay to curb crime.
"Minister Mchunu's plan to rope in 300 additional safety and security officers from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety has also gone up in smoke, as I received confirmation from the EC Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, that there is no money available in Nelson Mandela Bay, or the provincial Department of Community Safety to facilitate the deployment of additional officers."
Cassim says Cameron has confirmed receipt of his letter and a request will now be sent to the chair of chairs for the consideration of an oversight visit.
"Crime is spiralling out of control and law enforcement alone cannot win the fight against gangsterism and violent crime - a multi-disciplinary approach led by Parliament is needed to battle this scourge."
Additionally, Cassim says according to police statistics, between 2021 and 2023, more than 88% of all gang violence in Nelson Mandela Bay occurred in the Northern Areas.
"A group of activist crime researchers in the Northern Areas, who remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, has also revealed to the DA that close to 1000 residents of the Northern Areas have been murdered since 2019," he added.
