Cele puts in motion plan for Bay gang unit
Task team set up as first step in process
The first steps towards starting a brand new anti-gang unit in Port Elizabeth were set in motion on Monday, according to police minister Bheki Cele.
This follows a spate of gang-related shootings and murders in the crime-ridden northern areas in the past month.
Cele, who was in the city in an effort to find ways to clamp down on the gang violence, said the first step was setting up a task team.
He gave out these nuggets of information in between meetings on Monday at the 10111 building in Schauderville, where he engaged with community leaders and police management.
Cele was flanked by several high-ranking police officials, including national commissioner General Khehla Sitole and provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga.
His meeting coincided with a separate oversight visit by the members of the parliamentary portfolio committee, who were also in town to speak to residents.
During a short interview, Cele announced that the new task team had been established to address the gang issues plaguing the area.
He did not elaborate on the functions of the team and said officials were still working on resource allocation.
“There are national units that we will look at bringing in – we are still discussing all this.”
Asked if this was a step towards establishing the unit, Cele said the task team would eventually become the anti-gang unit.
He said the Western Cape anti-gang unit, which has had several successes since its inception in November, was providing advice.
Meanwhile, portfolio committee chair Francois Beukman said the committee members had come to the city amid concerns about gangsterism.
They had met community leaders, residents, community policing forums and various branches of the police.
Asked about the new task team, Beukman agreed that it was the first step towards an anti-gang unit.
“We support the anti-gang unit and any specialist unit,” he said. “From the meetings I had [on Monday], it is evident that they need it.
“I would like to see these units rolled out in all metropolitan areas of the country,” Beukman said.
He said several alarming issues had been raised, including the easy availability of illegal firearms, corruption at police level and how the youth were recruited into gangs.
“Corruption was highlighted as a major problem and that information [on cases] was being leaked to gangs.
“There were also concerns about the low success [conviction] rate on the arrests.
The residents told Beukman that children as young as 13 were now running gangs.
“There is concern over the change of demographics within the gangs,” he said.
“I was told of 13- and 14-year-olds now forming their own gangs and running around with guns.”
He would ask the police to brief the committee on their plans. “We want answers on all these questions.”
Beukman said talks would be held in February with police commissioners from several provinces with similar issues, so the committee could get a holistic view of the problem.
ANC MPL Christian Martin, who slept outside Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle’s office last week as part of a protest against the high crime rates in the northern areas, said the meeting with Cele was productive.
“I am grateful to everyone that assisted in making this possible,” Martin said.
“I could not have done it alone. I would say that this is mission accomplished.
“There is immediate intervention on the way.
“The minister will be coming back on Monday, when he will interact with the community,” Martin said.
Schauderville and Korsten community intervention committee leader Julian Julius, a self-confessed former gangster, said he had told the committee about the issues in the area.
“We have a crisis in the northern areas and they need to use the right resources to solve this problem,” he said.
“This visit by Cele is a political campaign.
“This task team is a waste of time and money, it will not work.
“We need community initiatives and the community to stand up and fight.”
Asked about the spate of recent shootings, Julius said more gang violence could be expected in December.
“I was one of these gangsters and I am telling you, they are planning and strategising as we are talking.
“They are going to find ways to make money and this means robberies and anything else that gets money in.
“We all know that is what they do, it is what I did.
“It is going to escalate and the only way to stop it is by the residents coming together.”
Concerned Citizens of Port Elizabeth Metro chair Farouk Jephta, who had a meeting with the portfolio committee members, said: “It was a very fruitful meeting and I think they now understand the conditions that are plaguing the area.”
He said the group had mentioned that the number of police was not as important as the quality of those officers.
“They also need to focus on intelligence-driven operations as this running around and raiding odd houses is just not getting the results,” he said.
“We also spoke about the changing demographics of the gangs and how the youth are being recruited.
“The youngsters who were recruited by the older gangsters are now branching away and turning on them,” he said.
Stop Northern Areas Killing Facebook page founder Gary van Niekerk said big plans were afoot.
“It was a very productive meeting. There are big plans and the anti-gang unit is coming,” he said.
“Several issues were raised, such as the Bethelsdorp police station phone lines being down for three weeks now and the need for businesses to come aboard and support fighting gangs.
“It is a step in the right direction. They acknowledged shortcomings and committed to action.
“He [Cele] is also going to be looking at several satellite police stations in the northern areas as part of a short-term solution.”
Residents said they were hoping for a more detailed briefing by Cele on the rollout when he returned to the city next week.
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