Set up dedicated anti-kidnapping unit in Nelson Mandela Bay before it's too late

The Herald

3 days ago

Nelson Mandela Bay has long been a dangerous city, but the recent spate of kidnappings is pushing fear to a new level.
The brazenness of these attacks is increasing.
Take, for example, the abduction of 73-year-old Theresa Minnie from the driveway of her Kariega home.
It was carried out in the quiet predawn hours in a suburban street.
Incidents like this turn neighbourhoods into scenes of fear and suspicion, further shattering the illusion that safety can be found at home.
Families who once worried about burglaries now face the unthinkable prospect of having their loved ones being kidnapped.
Business leaders have warned that the climate of fear is driving away investment in the metro, closing opportunities and forcing residents to consider leaving.
The Hawks and the multidisciplinary task team have made arrests and achieved some success.
However, it is not enough.
Bay businessman Kelvin Naidoo, who was kidnapped in July 2024 and endured a harrowing six-day ordeal before his ultimate release, fears that without dedicated police intervention the situation is only going to get worse.
'This latest incident is indeed tragic — and, unfortunately, we have an overworked police kidnapping unit which simply cannot keep up.
'Unless there is a special anti-kidnapping unit set up in the city, I don't see this getting better.
'Unfortunately, the targeting of businesspeople and foreign nationals will have a long-term impact on the local economy.'
Bay ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom, who lives in the Kariega suburb of Fairbridge Heights — near to where Minnie was abducted — said he would call for the kidnapping scourge to be urgently debated in council.
'As the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, we need to collaborate with the national and provincial government on the one hand, and local community and business entities on the other, to address this.'
A dedicated, well-resourced anti-kidnapping unit in Nelson Mandela Bay is is urgent.
This unit must be properly staffed, equipped and trained to act swiftly,
Until the police, Hawks and the city treat kidnapping as the emergency it is, the brazen criminals will keep striking.
The Herald