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The Crime Capital of the Eastern Cape

Dear Editor

Mthatha is the crime capital of the Eastern Cape and residents are more likely to be murdered or raped here than any other in the province.

Today, 05 October 2023, the DA launched a campaign at the Mthatha Central police station to highlight and fight the scourge of violent crime, which is spiralling out of control in Mthatha.

The campaign not only includes a petition that in due course will be tabled in Parliament before the police portfolio committee, but also several stakeholder engagements. The DA will be conducting public meetings, meetings with Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and neighbourhood watches, and oversight inspections at police stations.

The first quarter crime statistics for the period April to June 2023 revealed that violent crime, specifically murder and rape, has spiralled out of control in Mthatha. Mthatha is ninth in the top 30 murder stations in the country and recorded the highest reported incidents of rape in the Eastern Cape.

Mthatha needs a dedicated and coordinated strategic response from the police, supported at a national level. This is why we will be petitioning Parliament to get commitments from the National Police Commissioner to deploy the additional resources required to fight crime in Mthatha.

SAPS can fight the crime crisis in Mthatha by:

  • Strengthening crime intelligence.
  • Getting police vehicles back on the road.
  • Increasing high visibility police patrols.
  • Making more members and resources available.
  • Capacitating CPFs and neighbourhood watches.

Police Minister Bheki Cele is known for his visits to the Eastern Cape and his crime-fighting promises – promises that always go unfulfilled. It is time for Cele to put his money where his mouth is. What we need is less politics, more tangible solutions, a proper coordinated strategic response and interventions.

Our mission is to make sure that not a single Eastern Cape police station is in the top 30 murder stations this time next year. And we will fight to make this a reality so that the people of Mthatha can live in a safe city free from crime.

We also flighted our Voter Registration posters in Mthatha as our campaign for Election 2024 ramps up. The posters address Voter Registration ahead of the National Registration Weekend on 18 and 19 November.

(See pictures here and here)

Together we can rescue Mthatha and make it a safer and better place to live.

Regards

Andrew Whitfield MP
DA EC Provincial Leader

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