Nelson Mandela Bay a safer city as DA-led government is winning the fight against crime
Note to Editors: the following remarks were delivered today by Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader, Mmusi Maimane, outside the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Police Station in Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth. Maimane was joined by Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Athol Trollip, DA Eastern Cape Leader, Nqaba Bhanga, and MMC for Safety and Security, John Best.
Fellow South Africans,
When the DA-led coalition took office here in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) in August 2016, we made several commitments to the people who fired the ANC in this city and hired an alternative government. One of those commitments was to tackle the scourge of crime and create a safer city for all those who call ibhayi their home.
Today I can reveal that under this DA-led administration, we have seen an 11% drop in gang-related crimes in Helenvale and surrounding northern areas of NMB over the past 6 months. This is a huge testament to the success of NMB’s metro police force and its tireless work. Indeed, Nelson Mandela Bay is a much safer city than it was two years ago, as the DA-led government is winning the fight against crime.
When we took office, it was evident that corruption and poor governance by the previous ANC government meant that the fight against crime was non-existent. While the city’s metro police system was established in 2012, it still had only one employee – the police chief, Pinkie Mathabethe - who was being paid over R1 million a year.