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The Democratic Alliance (DA) will closely monitor the murder case of a man who was shot in a public space in the Springbok town centre, in broad daylight yesterday morning. We want to ensure that the same high standard of police work, whereby the police conducted a swift arrest of multiple suspects just hours after the killing, follows through into the subsequent investigations and ultimately the court case.

The DA applauds the police for putting their lives on the line in order to apprehend dangerous criminals. This was the second murder in the town in a week, both of which took place in close proximity of each other. While the murders have once again exposed the vulnerability of more rural areas of the province to crime, we are reassured by SAPS’s positive policing response.

Having already engaged with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in relation to this case, the DA will further liaise with the MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Nomandla Bloem and acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major General Phiwe Mnguni, to request prioritisation of the SAPS rural safety strategy in the Northern Cape. This should include improved use of technology, like the use of drones and cameras, in gathering crime intelligence.

We also want to see more roadblocks and traffic patrols, on the increasingly busy roads running past Springbok, which are also known smuggling routes.

Given that combatting crime requires an all of society approach, I will approach the Nama Khoi municipality to see how best the local authority can avail infrastructure, such as electricity points, to assist with law enforcement initiatives.

The DA commits to keeping a close eye on the murder case in question. Not only do we seek a broader understanding of the extent of crime occurring in Namaqualand but we also want to place pressure on law enforcement and the courts to develop watertight cases that result in successful prosecutions.

One murder is one too many and we need to work with urgency to stop Namaqualand from becoming a playground for criminals and syndicates.

Issued by The DA