The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is tightening its grip in the fight against crime with the launch of the Safety and Security WhatsApp Line, which will be used by the public to report safety and security-related matters. On Wednesday, 15 April 2026, the WhatsApp number 079 490 0480 went live to receive messages from members of the public. The WhatsApp line is hosted within the Metro Police Sub-directorate, with 24-hour backend support to ensure consistent receipt, response, and action on all complaints received. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Councillor Babalwa Lobishe, said the launch of the WhatsApp Line provides residents with an accessible tool to report incidents at their fingertips. The mayor said, “Through the Cooperative Agreement signed between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the South African Police Service, and other stakeholders last year, we continue to improve through innovative solutions aligned with current technological developments. We urge residents to use this platform responsibly so that it can make a meaningful difference in our communities”.
The WhatsApp line is exclusively for reporting incidents relating to the mandates of the following Safety and Security Sub-Directorates:
- Traffic and Licensing: All traffic-related complaints, including but not limited to accidents, traffic congestion, and tip-offs regarding suspected drunk driving.
- Security Services: Incidents including, but not limited to, vandalism, theft of municipal infrastructure, and damage to municipal property.
- Metro Police Services: Traffic policing matters, crime prevention tip-offs, by-law transgressions, protests, and suspicious activities falling within the Metro Police mandate.
- Disaster Management: Any incident that has the potential to develop into, or have the impact of, a disaster.
Speaking at the launch, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security, Councillor Luyanda Lawu, said the WhatsApp line number is an effort by the Municipality to complement existing measures in the fight against crime. “Looking at the level of crime in the Metro, we have assessed and agreed that we must introduce this tool to improve our responsiveness to crime-related complaints. This line will assist us, working with the South African Police Service, to suffocate criminal activity and create safer communities,” said MMC Lawu.
Community members are encouraged to utilise the WhatsApp Line to lodge complaints under the following categories:
- Category A: Service delivery-related complaints (Metro Police, Traffic, Security, Disaster Management, and other safety-related services).
- Category B: Public Complaints relating to the work ethic or conduct of officials.
- Category C: General complaints not related to safety and security, but pertaining to other municipal services, such as illegal dumping.
- Category D: Service delivery protests (violent or non-violent).
The WhatsApp Line will be capable of the following:
- Sending and receiving text messages related to reported incidents.
- Sharing live location pins
- Sharing photos and videos related to reported incidents.
- Sending and receiving voice notes related to reported incidents
MMC Lawu further emphasised that the WhatsApp Line does not replace the official SAPS emergency number 0800 10111, “We are not replacing 0800 10111, we are complementing it. The work we do in responding to reported incidents will be undertaken in partnership with SAPS, as the custodians of the fight against crime in the ountry,” he said.
