Minister visits gang-plagued area

THERE are plans to increase thepolice presence in Nelson Mandela Bay's northern areas to curb the high number of gang-related deaths, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said yesterday.

This comes after the death of 11 people, including young children, in gang-related violence in the past two weeks.

Mthethwa, who was in the Bay to find out just how bad the gang violence is in the northern areas, said police would zoom in on five individuals identified as key suspects in gang-related shootings. He was due to hold a public meeting with violence-plagued Helenvale residents at 1.30pm yesterday, but only arrived in the city shortly before 4pm after being held up in Grahamstown at the opening of a new police station. - Zandile Mbabela, Tremaine van Aardt and Thulani Gqirana