In recent months, Nelson Mandela Bay’s “Golden Mile”, 2km of pristine beachfront once very popular with tourists, has become a hotspot for horrific crime. Tourism numbers are dropping fast.
On Saturday, 26 October 2024, the police sent out a warning to all visitors not to walk alone in the area. This followed yet another attack on a visitor who was stabbed and robbed of his cellphone.
Ward 2 Councillor Sean Tappan, who has long been at the forefront of fighting crime in the area as the Beachfront Safety Sector chairperson, said apart from a litany of muggings, car break-ins and thefts, tourists being robbed and scammed, there had recently been a murder at Happy Valley after a man who was attacked fought to keep his cellphone.
He said the criminals often returned to their haunts shortly after being arrested and subsequently released. He said the city did not have a dedicated beachfront police unit.
Tourism, including visits by large passenger liners, is one of the largest contributors to the metro’s economy and employs a large number of people, even in a metro where the unemployment rate hovers close to 42%.
However, the sector has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and now by persistent crime and attacks on tourists. The number of visitors fell from 421,000 before the pandemic to 228,000 this year and revenue dropped by almost 50% to R4.9-billion.
“The sector has been hit by cancellations,” he said.
Tappan said they had been pleading for a dedicated beachfront safety unit but had not heard anything. The metro once had one with 40 patrollers from the metro police, but they were removed and sent back to the traffic department. Now, there is only one vehicle, two metro officers and four SAPS officers allocated to the area.
“Millions of rands in infrastructure is being damaged,” Tappan said.
Private entities have invested R500,000 in CCTV cameras, but the metro has not installed any extra cameras. The metro also hasn’t fixed the streetlights, leaving the Golden Mile dark at night.
Read more: High-ranking cops sent to Nelson Mandela Bay as bloodbath continues
Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield, who is also the leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape, said the importance of tourism in the province could not be underestimated. He said a safety focus on the 2km stretch where most of the tourism in Nelson Mandela Bay was focused was essential to protect jobs and lives.
“It is the most unprotected tourist asset in the country,” he said. “Tour operators are shutting down their operations.”
Minister of Agriculture and leader of the Democratic Alliance John Steenhuisen visited the city on Monday and said safety ran through everything the seventh administration was prioritising: jobs and growth. He said for every 30 tourists, one job was created.
“We are seeing a deep concern among tour operators who are warning visitors to avoid Nelson Mandela Bay,” Steenhuisen added.
“Every time a tourist is attacked, there are job losses.”
Tappan said card scammers using mobile devices to scam tourists were rife, but they were struggling to get the National Prosecuting Authority to establish a task force that could investigate the syndicate even though they had video footage.
“We have requested Minister Steenhuisen to raise both these matters with the ministers of Police and Tourism to ensure urgent intervention as the summer season approaches,” said Tappen, the DA spokesperson for Safety and Security in the Eastern Cape Legislature.
“It is critical to assess the readiness of the Beachfront Safety Cluster, specifically for Nelson Mandela Bay. Additionally, ongoing damage to city assets along the beachfront continues to undermine the tourism experience. Delayed repairs exacerbate safety concerns, ultimately affecting the broader tourism industry and associated employment,” he said.
‘Safest metro’ plan
In September, the metro’s executive mayor Gary van Niekerk declared that Nelson Mandela Bay would be one of the safest metros in the country come Christmas.
He said the cameras would be up by 25 December.
Nelson Mandela Bay metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said they had a plan and a timeline to establish a permanent beachfront safety unit, but did not elaborate. He said details will be announced “next week”.
On a festive season-specific safety plan, he said they were still finalising preparations, considering that “the metro is partnering with various programmes across the municipality”.
He said streetlights were fixed weekly, but it is “difficult to confirm specifics as the team works across the metro”.
Calls for action
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) also issued a statement calling on local communities, law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to join forces in combating criminal elements that threatened tourism in the Eastern Cape.
“The consequences of these crimes are far-reaching and devastating. Criminality against tourists undermines the provincial economy, jeopardises the livelihoods of thousands dependent on tourism, tarnishes Eastern Cape’s reputation as a welcoming destination, and deters investment and growth.
“It is imperative that stakeholders take immediate action to address this scourge. The safety and wellbeing of tourists is paramount. ECPTA seeks to work together to restore the province’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination.
“ECPTA calls on all stakeholders to report incidents promptly to the authorities, support community-led initiatives promoting safety and security, collaborate with the South African Police Service to increase visibility and patrols and educate and empower local communities to value tourism’s benefits.
“Tourism has the power to change lives, create jobs, and stimulate local economies. Through protecting this vital sector, we preserve the dignity of the Eastern Cape people, enhance the quality of life for communities and foster a culture of hospitality and warmth. ECPTA implores all stakeholders to recognise the importance of safeguarding visitors and join forces to fight criminality,” the agency statement read.
On 5 October, a group of about 200 tourism-dependent businesses and individuals staged a protest at the beach to highlight the lack of measures to fight crime in the tourism hotspot. They also handed a memorandum to the speaker’s office.
Known as One Voice, the tourism collective demanded action. A group statement said that extraordinary measures were needed to restore trust in the metro’s provision of safety for tourists. DM