Police Minister Bheki Cele was warmly received by residents from the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay on Monday when he introduced an intervention plan aimed at stopping the scourge of gang-violence plaguing their communities.
He was in the area for the second time in the space of a week to respond to the community's cry for help in the wake of wanton gang-violence which has claimed more than 80 lives in the Metro since April.
Cele, who was speaking at a public engagement session at the Chatty Community Centre in Bethelsdorp, said that 42 police officers would be deployed to join the area's Police Task Team, with an additional 30 deployed to respond solely to gang-related incidents.
He said the task team would eventually be developed into a permanent anti-gang unit.
Minister Cele, who was joined by National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, as well as Safety and Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana, further committed to building a new Police Station in the Booysens Park area. He said it would be fully operational in the next 10 months.
