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The inability of Nelson Mandela Bay’s ANC-led coalition of corruption government to ensure the safety of its municipal buildings has led to buildings being targeted by thieves and vandals.

Today, 19 March 2020, I was joined by DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader, Cllr Nqaba Bhanga, and DA NMB Caucus Leader, Cllr Jonathan Lawack, in conducting an oversight inspection at the Bethesldorp Metro Police Station in Chatty, Port Elizabeth.

The building has been attacked by vandals and the wire fencing around the perimeter is in a state of disrepair.

The municipality has been made aware of the fencing issue over an extended period of time, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

The Bethelsdorp Metro Police Station was opened in 2017 under the leadership of the DA and its coalition partners and was newly renovated and a state of the art facility. Since the ANC-led coalition of corruption took over government in 2018 it has shown a steady rate of decline.

I will now write to the acting city manager and request that she expedite, within all the supply chain management processes, the installation and monitoring of alarms at all municipal buildings and offices, including substations.

This forms part of the DA’s 10 point plan to ensure the safety of residents when elected back into government. The other points include:

• Ensuring that Shot-spotter technology is rolled out in Helenvale, Bethelsdorp and one other area as identified in consultation with the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Shot-spotter technology installed in Helenvale during the DA and its coalition partners' tenure in government from August 2016 to August 2018 also proved to be a great success and, within 90 days of its installation, gunshots were reduced by 90%. This project has since fallen by the way side but the DA will ensure that it is implemented immediately.

• We will ensure the warrant of arrests for traffic offences over the past six months are effected. Currently, courts can only deal with 150 cases a day, a shocking total of 2 350 cases are withdrawn daily.

• The DA will engage with the National Department of Transport to expedite the accreditation of the Motherwell Drivers Licence Centre.

• We will roll out a project encouraging private citizens to install dashboard cameras in their vehicles to record drivers committing traffic offences. Passengers will also be encouraged to use mobile devices to record offenders. The number plate and offence must be visible in the recording and the person submitting the footage must also submit an affidavit. We will commit to ensuring that action is taken against guilty parties.

• Appoint an additional 100 law enforcement officers as force multipliers to assist as tourist ambassadors and patrol the CBD, Central and beachfront.

• Ensure that Evidentiary Breath Alcohol Testing (EBAT) machines are introduced as a matter of urgency. This EBAT system uses a machine that can read the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath. It then produces a printout of the results which can be used as evidence that could lead to a court conviction. The possibility of having a mobile EBAT truck, that will move between roadblocks, will also be investigated. Currently, breathalyzer tests are suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak but can be implemented as soon as we have turned the corner.

• Establish a vehicle pound where all non-roadworthy vehicles that were removed from the roads can be stored.

• Engage with the business sector to formally train car guards and have them registered with and certified by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) and provide them with specific and uniquely numbered bibs.

• Set up a committee including social development and law enforcement agencies to formulate and implement a plan to address the issue of homeless people being forced to sleep in the streets of the City.

Under a DA government, these plans can be implemented immediately and will contribute to residents once again feeling safe in their communities.

Issued by The DA