Gqeberha, Eastern Cape — Escalating concerns over the South Africa crime surge have prompted the Democratic Alliance (DA) to urgently demand that President Cyril Ramaphosa appoint a permanent police minister. The opposition party argues that the ongoing leadership vacuum at the national level is resulting in wasted taxpayer funds while violent offenses continue to devastate communities.
The political pressure peaked during a massive mobilization in the Northern areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, a region that has become a flashpoint for illicit activities, violent offenses, and dangerous gigs. Approximately 2,000 residents took to the streets, waving banners and demanding an immediate end to the violence. The municipality’s statistics reflect a broader national emergency, with official figures revealing a staggering toll of roughly 400 murders recorded during the first quarter of 2026 alone.
Addressing the massive crowd, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis highlighted the absurdity of the current governmental setup, pointing out that over the past year, the country has been forced to navigate its security challenges with a rotating door of temporary leadership.
“Now I want to make a call directly to President Ramaphosa,” Hill-Lewis told the demonstrators. “You know that for a whole year this weekend, a whole year we’ve had two police ministers. One acting, one suspended. Both of them have been earning a full salary. We need a permanent police minister now. Get rid of the corrupt one. Get rid of all the dirty cops and give us a permanent police leadership. Show us that you are serious about fixing violent crime in South Africa.”
While criticizing the national government’s paralysis, the Democratic Alliance noted that it is actively deploying its own anti-crime strategies in the Western Cape. However, the province also faces immense challenges, having recorded approximately 900 murders in the same three-month period of 2026.
DA Federal Chairperson Solly Msimanga explained that local policing efforts are frequently undermined by the national justice and policing framework. He argued that successful arrests made by local authorities are often rendered useless when cases are transferred to the national level, creating a cycle of repeat offenses.
“We have been catching people. We have been catching criminals but and then handing them over to the police which is controlled at the national level,” Msimanga explained. “And you find that some of the guns, some of the criminals because of lack of proper prosecution thereof they not get convicted. They on the streets guns end up on the streets again.”
Msimanga further alleged that the rot extends beyond mere administrative inefficiencies, suggesting deep-seated collusion in other regions.
“This is why we saying, you know, these things are things that need to be cleaned up,” he stated. “And this is we’ve seen it more out even outside of the Western Cape where the criminals themselves are working with the police.”
Moving forward, the party has vowed to maintain its relentless campaign, insisting that the national government must implement robust policing reforms and comprehensive crime-fighting measures to restore safety across the nation.