South Africa: Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism Staggers Under Crime Onslaught – Calls for Beachfront Police Unit

Once a popular tourism destination along Nelson Mandela Bay’s beachfront, the ‘Golden Mile’, a hub of luxury hotels and guesthouses, has become a crime hotspot. The community is calling for decisive action, but the metro is still crafting its plan.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min 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…