Gqeberha, Eastern Cape — The Democratic Alliance (DA) has intensified pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a permanent police minister, citing wasted public funds and leadership vacuum in the country’s fight against violent crime.
The opposition party led approximately 2,000 community members in a march through the Northern areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, a region notorious for violent crimes and illegal gatherings. The municipality recorded about 400 murders in the first quarter of 2026 alone, highlighting the severity of the security crisis.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis addressed the crowd, calling directly on President Ramaphosa to act decisively on police leadership.
“For a whole year we’ve had two police ministers. One acting, one suspended. Both of them have been earning a full salary,” Hill-Lewis stated. “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.”
The Democratic Alliance has begun implementing crime-fighting policies in the Western Cape, where approximately 900 murders were recorded in the first three months of 2026.
DA Federal Chairperson Solly Msimanga highlighted systemic challenges in the criminal justice system, noting that while opposition-led provinces are making arrests, national-level police failures undermine prosecution efforts.
“We have been catching people. We have been catching criminals but then handing them over to the police which is controlled at the national level,” Msimanga explained. “You find that some of the guns, some of the criminals, because of lack of proper prosecution, they don’t get convicted. They’re on the streets, guns end up on the streets again.”
Msimanga further alleged that in some regions outside the Western Cape, criminals are working directly with police, calling for urgent cleanup of law enforcement institutions.
The Democratic Alliance says it will continue pressing government for stronger policing and improved crime-fighting measures across South Africa.
