{"id":1081,"date":"2026-04-25T12:43:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T12:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/?p=1081"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:07:23","slug":"nmb-municipality-rolls-out-whatsapp-crime-line-and-r16m-safety-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/2026\/04\/25\/nmb-municipality-rolls-out-whatsapp-crime-line-and-r16m-safety-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"NMB Municipality Rolls Out WhatsApp Crime Line and R16m Safety Fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gmail_attr\" dir=\"ltr\">By Joseph Chirume<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gmail_attr\" dir=\"ltr\">Qgeberha<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Nelson Mandela Bay was once renowned for its friendly residents and for its pristine, award-winning beaches that stunned thousands of tourists. However, the spike in crime has tainted the good reputation the city once enjoyed.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">In an effort to tackle crime head-on, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality recently launched a Safety &amp; Security WhatsApp line for residents to report crime in real time. In addition, a large fleet of vehicles was rolled out on Thursday to effectively fight crime and respond to emergency situations timeously.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said, \u201cThis strategic initiative, driven by the Municipality\u2019s Safety &amp; Security Directorate, reinforces the Metro\u2019s commitment to enhancing communication channels between residents and law enforcement, while enabling quicker reporting, improved coordination, and more effective responses to incidents across communities.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The event was attended by the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety &amp; Security, Cllr Luyanda Lawu; the Acting Executive Director for Safety &amp; Security, Shadrack Sibiya; Acting Director for Traffic and Licensing, Pat Gounder; Head of Disaster Management, Dr Sindisiwe Nyide; Acting Deputy Director for Security Services, Mncedisi Matikici; along with various law enforcement officials, underscoring the Municipality\u2019s integrated approach to safety and security.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Soyaya further explained, \u201cThe WhatsApp line provides residents with a convenient, user-friendly, and accessible platform to report incidents, share critical information, and receive timely updates. Residents are urged to actively use the WhatsApp number, which operates around the clock, to report safety and security-related matters. Residents can contact the WhatsApp line on 079 4900 480.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Municipality did not stop there. It bolstered its campaign against crime and improved emergency services provision by investing R16.1 million in a safety fleet.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The fleet, comprising 20 vehicles, has been allocated across Metro Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Traffic and Licensing, Security Services, and Disaster Management to improve operational visibility, coordination, and response capability.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The breakdown includes two vehicles for Metro Police valued at R555,600; two fire tankers delivered with two additional tankers pending, valued at R7.9 million; Traffic and Licensing vehicles, including a VW Transporter, a Mercedes Fuso breakdown truck, and two Toyota bakkies, valued at R4.45 million; Security Services vehicles valued at R3.13 million; and three Disaster Management vehicles valued at R1.75 million.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Additionally, communication equipment to the value of R4.7 million has been delivered, with a further R4.1 million in equipment expected, strengthening coordination across safety services.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Municipality is also awaiting the delivery of specialised firefighting vehicles valued at R27 million, including a rescue pump and hydraulic platform, which will significantly enhance advanced emergency response capability, particularly for incidents, crime, fires, and disasters. This follows public concern regarding the state of Fire and Emergency Services.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said, \u201cThis investment is firmly aligned with the priorities of the 7th Administration: building a capable and ethical state, driving inclusive economic growth, and improving the quality of life of our people. It is equally aligned with the Municipality\u2019s Integrated Development Plan priorities, particularly strengthening basic service delivery, building safer communities, and positioning Nelson Mandela Bay as a competitive and investable city.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Joseph Chirume Qgeberha Nelson Mandela Bay was once renowned for its friendly residents and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1081"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1082,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions\/1082"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}