EC DA calls on Parly to urgently address gang violence plaguing parts of Nelson Mandela Bay
The party presented a petition to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police in May, demanding urgent intervention to stop the bloodshed in the northern areas of the region.
Gun being pointed. Pixabay/Victoria
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape won't rest until Parliament acts on the gang violence plaguing northern areas in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The party presented a petition to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police in May, demanding urgent intervention to stop the bloodshed in the region.
The DA said between 2019 and 2025, more than 1,000 gang-related killings have been recorded, including 39 children in the last two financial years alone.
READ: DA welcomes National Assembly adopting report on rampant gang violence in Nelson Mandela Bay
On Tuesday, the National Assembly adopted the committee’s report, which directs the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address the collapse of the Anti-Gang Unit and Crime Intelligence in Nelson Mandela Bay, with a full progress update required by the end of July.
It also calls for prioritised forensic processing in drug-related cases, tougher oversight of officer misconduct, and a formal review of the country's bail system regarding gang and drug offences.
The DA's Yusuf Cassim said they would monitor each of these directives to ensure that they do not become another set of broken promises.
"Following the brutal murder of little Emilio (Hutchinson) in his home last year, I led a mass march of residents of the northern areas, which presented a petition for the attention of then Minister of Police Bheki Cele. This petition called for priority intervention in what we believe to be an abnormal situation of gang violence in the northern areas, tearing our communities apart."