Top Cop Promises: NMB Flying Squad get two cars and a promise of more

The Nelson Mandela Bay Flying Squad is back on the road, although barely.

It took a personal visit by Eastern Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata, who called the situation at the elite rapid response unit “embarrassing”, before any action was taken to improve their working conditions.

Despite the unit being granted two high performance vehicles, the members’ union representatives have said this is not nearly enough for them to effectively perform their duties, and they are continuing their battle to secure at least eight more vehicles.

Ncata made several promises that more vehicles would be delivered soon, and that he would take a personal interest in the maintenance of these vehicles to ensure members were capable of performing their duties.

At the same time, reports have surfaced that the provincial commissioner is unhappy about the Gqeberha-based unit’s command structure, and that he is looking into possibly “reshuffling” its management.

While the ongoing challenges at the so-called “Dying Squad” are no secret, particularly after a parliamentary oversight visit in November 2025, the unit was once again shoved into the spotlight last month when members used private vehicles to respond to a crime scene.

Publicly, the members in question were lauded as heroes who went beyond the call of duty on 31 August to recover 11 stolen firearms within hours of them being reported as missing. However, behind closed doors they faced internal scrutiny as an investigation was launched into their conduct and the reasons they did not use official vehicles.

Since his visit to Gqeberha in November 2025, when many of the Nelson Mandela Bay’s specialised units were the subject of a parliamentary oversight visit, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has kept a close eye on developments at the Flying Squad.

During a virtual committee meeting last week, Cameron raised questions about the state of affairs at the NMB unit, and Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane deferred the questions directly to Ncata, who was also in the meeting.

“I must acknowledge that what we saw, on the day when the members of the Flying Squad had to respond to a very important crime scene, was really embarrassing. They did not have vehicles,” Ncata said, referring to the incident on 31 August.

“However, we have corrected that. The province has already issued them with two new vehicles, and additional high performance vehicles are also on the way – we are just waiting for delivery.”

It is believed the vehicles in question are VW Polo GTIs, which come with a 2.0L petrol engine and comply with the police’s classification of a high performance vehicle.

Apart from these two vehicles, Ncata did not specify how many additional cars would be allocated to the Flying Squad, but said they formed part of the 340 vehicles the Eastern Cape police had ordered and would be distributed among stations and various units.

In the past, Ncata acknowledged that the police garages responsible for vehicle maintenance and repairs were one of the root causes for vehicle shortages in Nelson Mandela Bay, but during his response in the committee meeting he said a new contractor had been appointed and things had improved.

“I have taken a personal responsibility pertaining to the vehicle issues at Nelson Mandela Bay, particularly at the Flying Squad, and I will be monitoring how many vehicles are in the garage on a daily basis,” Ncata said.

Eastern Cape Chairperson for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), Luzuko Rawana, said the two new vehicles were a step in the right direction, but still far from what the Flying Squad in Nelson Mandela Bay truly needed.

“For a metro like Nelson Mandela Bay, their Flying Squad probably needs 10 cars. These vehicles should operate night and day, which means a lot of wear and tear. They need to have enough so that they can be rotated, and that there are still vehicles available when others need to undergo maintenance or repairs.”

Rawana said ideally the unit should also have at least two unmarked vehicles for use by administrative staff, so that they could perform their duties without having a target on their backs.

“We are happy to hear more cars are coming, but we need to ensure these are the right, high performance vehicles. Criminals are driving BMW and Mercedes Benz, and we can’t have our cops chasing after them in bakkies and minibuses.”

With regards to the investigation into the members who used their own vehicles, Rawana said they understand both sides of the argument.

“The members need to have the equipment to perform their duties, but regulations are also clear that members cannot use private vehicles on the job. We need to find a middle ground so that this matter can be resolved.”

During their engagements with Ncata, Rawana said the commissioner had indicated that he was not completely satisfied with the management of the NMB Flying Squad and was looking into “reshuffling” its command in the near future.

Attempts to reach Ncata for comment on this matter were unsuccessful, however members within the unit confirmed that they had been notified of a “restructuring process” that would probably take place soon.

Rawana said it was unclear exactly what the process would entail, but the union would continue to engage with provincial management and provide feedback to its members. DM