With gangs taking over Nelson Mandela Bay, and a toddler and two others murdered about 300 metres from a police station, the only thing that could save the metro was the defence force, said safety and security MMC, Stag Mitchell.
Mitchell described crime in the metro as "disastrous" - and he was worried that, if the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) did not intervene soon, a crime war could break out.
Nelson Mandela Bay has become notorious for kidnappings and gang-related murders, which happen almost daily, while gunshots have become part of the daily routine of gangsters, especially in the northern areas of the metro.