Overview
- Following stakeholder meetings in Nelson Mandela Bay, Firoz Cachalia warned that police are losing ground to organised gangs and described cartels as growing in wealth, power and transnational reach, with signs of infiltration of law enforcement.
- Police linked the January 17 Philippi East shebeen attack that left eight dead to an extortion racket, with residents reportedly too fearful to speak out.
- Nelson Mandela Bay’s SAPS district commissioner reported an intelligence-driven task team is operating and said arrests linked to murders were made in recent days.
- Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said resourcing shortfalls for specialised units were raised with the minister and flagged ongoing frustrations over slow police response times.
- Local leaders pressed for a permanent 24-hour Joint Operations Centre, citing persistent violence including 118 killings in the metro’s northern areas from August to December and murder rates that place the Western Cape first nationally and the Eastern Cape second.