NELSON Mandela Bay Municipality executive mayor, Gary van Niekerk, recently called for an urgent meeting with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies to curb rampant crime in the Northern Areas.
With more than 30 murders in this crime-ridden area last week, in addition to the multiple attempted murders, the implementation of the Rapid Response on Crime (RROC) plan has now been fast-tracked.
The RROC is a collaborative operational strategy with the SAPS, Metro Police, private security companies and civil society, intended to improve the overall footprint of law enforcement apparatus. Mayor Van Niekerk said that he had decided to skip an Eastern Cape intergovernmental investment delegation to Germany, led by premier Oscar Mabuyane, to meet with the relevant roleplayers to fast-track the implementation of RROC.
“My participation in the delegation would have involved the exploration of an additional sister-city agreement that would have benefited our municipality immensely. However, it will have to wait for a more appropriate time,” said Van Niekerk. “I have been in constant contact with the premier, and we decided that it is best if I play a leading role in efforts to curb the murders and criminal mayhem currently gripping our city. When I took office in May this year, the Government of Local Unity fashioned its governance approach on the provision of a safe and clean city. With the rampant crime plaguing the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in general, and the Northern Areas in particular, we cannot afford any distractions any longer.
“The successful collaborative action by private security (extreme) and Kabega Park SAPS, leading to successful arrests of violent housebreakers last week, is the model that we base our RROC strategy on. We want to formalise collaboration and the development of a mutually-beneficial digital system that adds value to the operations of private security, SAPS, Metro Police and other role-players,” said Mayor Van Niekerk.
– ISSUED BY OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR
