DA in Nelson Mandela Bay vows to quadruple metro cops

By Johnathan Paoli

The DA has vowed to quadruple Nelson Mandela Bay’s Metro Police department to more than 500 officers within five years if elected to run the metro after the 2026 local government elections, saying the current law enforcement capacity has collapsed.

Speaking in KwaNobuhle in Kariega on Thursday, DA Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal announced what the party described as “game-changing plans” to overhaul the city’s Metro Police Department.

“Nelson Mandela Bay’s Metro Police has become a law enforcement agency in name only, as it struggles on with only 126 officers and four operational vehicles to serve 60 wards. After the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November, with a DA-led government elected in Nelson Mandela Bay, in just 12 months we will be able to double the number of metro police officers and increase the fleet capacity to get these officers onto the streets,” Odendaal said.

“By the end of our five-year term, we will expand to over 500 officers and more than 60 vehicles across the City to provide 24/7 coverage for every ward,” he added.

According to the DA, the metro currently deploys just 18 officers per 12-hour shift across the metro, effectively leaving fewer than one officer for every three wards during a shift.

The DA further claimed that only four of the department’s 22 vehicles are currently operational, while the remaining 18 are awaiting repairs, tyres or spare parts.

Odendaal said the expanded police force would enable the establishment of specialised units, including anti-protest, anti-vandalism and taxi enforcement teams, as well as a dedicated unit aimed at tackling derelict and problematic buildings.

“This will ensure a more professional Metro Police with hard-working officers that can keep communities safe,” he said.

The DA said its strategy would rely heavily on upskilling existing