By JOHANNESBURG — In a blistering critique of the governing ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has slammed local and national security failures, framing the upcoming November local government elections as a critical turning point for safety in Ekurhuleni.
The DA’s hard-hitting stance comes in the wake of a deeply troubling security crisis in the metro. Hill-Lewis pointed directly to the horrifying discovery of the bodies of six women in Ekurhuleni since July, highlighting a devastating human cost born from decades of policing failures under the African National Congress (ANC).
“Government’s first duty is to protect the safety and security of every person,” Hill-Lewis stated, adding that women should never have to live in fear of simply walking home or moving through their own communities.
The Cost of Instability
For years, Ekurhuleni has grappled with administrative instability and fractured ANC-led coalitions that critics argue have hollowed out public trust and degraded municipal institutions. According to the DA, years of maladministration have left communities exposed to violent crime while local law enforcement lacks the strategic focus needed to turn the tide.
Hill-Lewis warned voters against repeating past mistakes, cautioning that “another coalition of chaos will not fix this city”. Instead, the party is positioning itself as the only viable alternative capable of restoring order.
The DA’s Blueprint for Safety
To combat the escalating crisis, the DA has unveiled a targeted security roadmap centred on local empowerment and institutional reform:
- Rebuilding the EMPD: Under the leadership of Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, the party aims to transform the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department into a professional, trusted municipal service.
- Targeted Intervention: Plans include ramping up visible policing, aggressively targeting crime hotspots, and upgrading public infrastructure through improved lighting and surveillance.
- Enhanced Cooperation: The DA pledges to forge stronger, more cooperative ties between municipal police, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and local communities.
- National Reform: On a broader scale, the DA continues to push for empowered local governments to take on a larger security footprint, alongside bolstered investigative capacities nationally.
A Defining November Choice
“South Africans should not have to organise their lives around criminals. Government must organise itself around catching them,” Hill-Lewis asserted, calling for better investigations, safer public spaces, and absolute consequences for lawbreakers.
With the November ballot fast approaching, the political battlefield in Ekurhuleni is sharpening. While the ANC faces mounting pressure over service delivery and public safety lapses, the DA is banking on its governance track record to convince voters that clean government and professional law enforcement are within reach.
Whether the electorate will opt for a DA majority to shift the balance of power remains the central question of this election cycle—and for the residents of Ekurhuleni, the stakes could not be higher.
