GQEBERHA – The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has unveiled a new R21.5 million safety and security fleet aimed at strengthening crime prevention, improving emergency response times and increasing law enforcement visibility across the metro.
The fleet was officially launched on Thursday, 23 April, at the South End Fire Station by Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe and MMC for Safety and Security, Luyanda Lawu.
The initiative forms part of a broader multi-disciplinary crime prevention strategy implemented through a Memorandum of Cooperation between the municipality, the South African Police Service and other key stakeholders.
Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said the investment was intended to improve the municipality’s ability to respond to both crime and disaster situations.
“This fleet represents the municipality’s strength and its ability to deliver safety, visibility and effective response during times of disaster and crime incidents.”
Lobishe said the timing of the investment was significant given rising crime concerns and recent disaster-related challenges in the metro.
“It comes at a time when we are seeing many crime incidents happening in the city and we’ve also just recovered from a disaster period. We need to be more proactive in terms of responding to the needs that might arise.”
She confirmed that 20 vehicles were being deployed across key services.
“Today we are launching 20 vehicles that are for critical services: two sedans to strengthen visibility and law enforcement, two fire and emergency services vehicles, two fire and rescue tanks with two more on the way, one traffic and licensing transporter, one breakdown vehicle, two bakkies for traffic management and roadside operations, seven Isuzu vehicles for safety and security, two VW Polo Vivo vehicles to strengthen patrols and disaster management, and three Ford Ranger vehicles.”
Lobishe added that further investment was underway.
“In addition, R4.7 million has been invested in communications equipment already delivered. We are also expecting specialised firefighting vehicles worth R27 million.”
She said the overall aim was improved service delivery and faster response times.
“The impact of this investment will ensure faster response, greater visibility in communities, improved disaster preparedness and stronger protection of public infrastructure. This is about the safety and dignity of our people, and the fleet will serve the whole metro.”
MMC for Safety and Security, Luyanda Lawu, said the fleet was a direct response to ongoing safety challenges facing the municipality.
“We gather here with the crucial purpose to strengthen our defence against crime, which is continuously affecting our communities, where lives have been lost and municipal infrastructure damaged,” he said.
Lawu also pointed to environmental risks affecting safety operations.
“Furthermore, the municipality is facing rising threats from climate change that is accelerating floods and rising sea levels. This requires an approach to ensure that safety and security is proactive rather than reactive.”
He said the vehicles were part of a wider budget allocation aimed at restoring operational capacity and that the purchase followed an internal assessment of fleet capacity.
“The acquisition follows a comprehensive assessment that identified the urgent need to upgrade and replace fleets that had previously been decommissioned for various reasons. These vehicles were purchased to enhance the municipality’s efficiency and response to law enforcement and safety challenges.”
Lawu also highlighted investment in communication systems.
“Additionally, I want to highlight the purchase of radios and accessories for the safety and security directorate.”
Responding to criticism about the department’s effectiveness, Lawu said, “We know there has been speculation around the functioning of this department. We are not here to prove anything to anyone but to be proactive.
“Due to some processes, some issues have been delayed, but we remain committed. By the end of the financial year, we expect to be spending above 40% of our allocated budget. We are making sure that our communities are safe.”
ALSO READ: Parliamentary visit exposes ‘broken’ police force in Gqeberha
You must be logged in to post a comment.