Months of oversight have exposed severe gaps in Nelson Mandela Bay's policing units, from an understaffed anti-gang unit to an ill-equipped Flying Squad. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia visits this week as questions remain over whether these issues will be addressed.

The police in Nelson Mandela Bay will no doubt shine their boots and put their best foot forward in anticipation of the acting police minister's visit on Wednesday.

But will Firoz Cachalia be briefed on the shortcomings plaguing crime-fighting efforts in the city, and will he give clear instructions for the implementation of crucial interventions which have already been adopted by Parliament as long as six months ago?

This seemed to be the overarching concern of DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal when he once again raised his concerns over the deterioration of key policing units in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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"The visit by the acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia to Nelson Mandela Bay comes at a decisive moment for communities who continue to live under the daily threat of gangsterism, violent crime and organised kidnapping.

"Critical policing units remain hollowed out. The Anti-Gang Unit operates with severely limited vehicles and detective capacity. Crime intelligence capability is dangerously thin. The Flying Squad and K9 units, once vital pillars of rapid response and drug interdiction, are operating under conditions that make effective policing nearly impossible," Odendaal said in a statement on the eve of Cachalia's visit.

The police said the ministry's visit...