Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has warned that police are “not yet in a position to defeat” gangs as violent crime surges in parts of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Speaking during a crime-focused visit to Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday, 21 January, Cachalia said gangs were “on a killing spree” in the Western Cape, with a similar pattern emerging in the Eastern Cape. A separate report published on 21 January also attributed the same warning to him.

“We Still Have to Confront” Organized Crime

Cachalia said the challenge of organised crime in the Western and Eastern Cape remains unresolved, and he raised concerns about how anti-gang units are being used. He said creating gang units “from time to time” becomes an ad hoc response to a growing problem.

He told stakeholders he was still waiting for the police strategy being developed to be presented to him. The engagement brought together community leaders, church representatives and community policing forums.

Nelson Mandela Bay Communities Report Sustained Violence

Cachalia’s visit comes after months of violence across areas including Gqeberha, Kariega and Despatch. Reports shared at the engagement pointed to a deadly surge in the metro’s northern areas late last year, including 118 killings between August and December.

The violence has also spilled into 2026, with reporting claiming around 40 murders across the metro in the week of 5 to 11 January alone.

Calls for Resources and Better Coordination

Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe welcomed the visit and said the city wanted stronger police resourcing. District Commissioner Major-General Vuyisile Ncatha said a task team was carrying out intelligence-driven operations and that arrests linked to recent murders had been made.

DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal said the Eastern Cape Legislature adopted a motion in December calling for a permanent 24-hour Joint Operations Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay to coordinate policing and prosecutions through real-time intelligence sharing.