NORTHERN AREAS - ARMY TO TAKE ON PLAGUE OF GANGSTERISM IN PORT ELIZABETH

Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, says a visible intervention to curb the gang violence in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth will be implemented within the next two weeks.

He addressed the community saying the situation has reached a critical threshold with too many lives lost. The community also aired their grievances with service delivery, education and gang violence at the top of the list.

More than 30 people have been killed in gang related violence since the beginning of 2016 and more than 250 people over the past two years.

Nhleko says, "It is extremely critical that we address this. This is the end of the second month of the year and already, we have 30 people killed. Now that is not a normal situation or a normal circumstance and that is why we are going to make immediate intervention. Obviously, I won’t go into details about that intervention, but we are going to bring the situation under control."

The Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Danny Jordan, says that it’s imperative to address social and economic issues within the communities as they are catalysts for crime and gangsterism.

He says in the Helenvale area they will be implementing job creation initiatives. "We are investing R180 million into building more houses and transforming the areas and the environment and this is what we are doing as a metro because it does affect mind-sets. We also want to immediately address the issues of crime and gangsterism and drugs. I’m sure the police, as well as defence force and other instruments of the state have plans for this."

Thirty people have died due to gang violence in the Northern areas since the beginning of this year.