DA MP Baxolile Nodada and his friend survived an attack by robbers armed with knives at the Nelson Mandela Bay beachfront in Humewood over the weekend. (Photo: Facebook) A violent attack on DA MP Baxolile Nodada and his friend on Gqeberha’s beachfront, in which his friend was stabbed multiple times, has been raised in Parliament amid renewed concerns about safety in one of the metro’s prime tourism hubs.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Nodada linked the attack to what he described as long-standing municipal failures, accusing authorities of gambling with residents’ safety in a city grappling with non-functioning streetlights, cable theft and inadequate security patrols.
“Mr President, I was not meant to be standing at this podium today, but I insisted because I wanted to deliver this message directly to the Presidency.
“Today, I could have been lying in a hospital bed fighting for my life, or my family could have been preparing my funeral while everyone in this Parliament sent their condolences.
‘Violently attacked’
“This weekend, my friend and I were victims of a crime that almost cost us our lives. We were violently attacked. He was stabbed six times while I fought for my life against drug-addicted criminals who exploited a dark alleyway to Humewood Beach Park, where stolen cables were never repaired, streetlights did not work, bush clearing was not done and there was no security patrol,” Nodada said.
His remarks during a parliamentary debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s budget vote on 2 June come while concerns grow over Nelson Mandela Bay’s failing streetlight network, where thousands of faults have left large parts of the city in darkness due to budget pressures, procurement inefficiencies and slow repair work.
Tourism stakeholders have also raised the alarm over deteriorating conditions and safety risks along the beachfront, warning that poor infrastructure and rising insecurity are undermining visitor confidence and threatening the metro’s tourism economy.
In an interview with Daily Maverick on Thursday, Nodada said he and friends went for dinner in the Humewood area after attending a wedding.
Nodada had parked his vehicle opposite the Humewood Hotel on Beach Road, one of the metro’s prime tourism nodes.
After dinner, he and his friend walked back towards the vehicle when they were confronted by three armed men who emerged from a dark, poorly maintained alleyway.
His friend, who sustained six stab wounds during the attack, has since been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home.
“My friend has since been discharged and is stable. His stab wounds were mainly on his back. The doctor said there’s nothing deep that penetrated to any organs or any veins. None of his vital organs penetrated. He’s stable at home and recovering. He went for a checkup yesterday and should be back at work next week Monday,” Nodada said.
Nodada sustained cuts and bruises to his hands and legs while fighting off their attackers.
“If you look at that area from that skateboard shop right through towards the councillor’s office and the large parking lot, the whole area is dark because cable theft has left the streetlights and pathway lights non-functional. It’s completely dark,” he said.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_0154-copy.jpg "Streetlights in large parts of Nelson Mandela Bay are not functioning. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
Nodada said that while he and his friend tried to fight off their attackers, his friend lost his footing on the grass and fell, allowing the assailants to overpower him.
The attackers repeatedly stabbed his friend before stealing his cellphone. Nodada said his own confrontation with the suspects became a fight for survival.
During the struggle, his cellphone fell to the ground. The attackers grabbed it before fleeing into the darkness.
“Fortunately, about five minutes after the incident, a police vehicle came past. I stopped them in the road and we searched the area, but it was too dark and we could not find anything.
“We rushed my friend to hospital ourselves because the ambulance did not arrive on time. We put him in my car and drove him there for treatment,” Nodada said.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said SAPS Humewood has confirmed that a case of robbery with a weapon other than a firearm is under investigation following an incident in Summerstrand on Saturday, 30 May 2026.
The suspects proceeded to rob the victims, and during the incident, the complainant’s friend sustained a stab wound, Gantana said. The suspects fled the scene on foot, the police spokesperson said.
No arrests have been made at this stage, and the investigation continues.
Using his iPad, Nodada, who also received treatment at the St George’s Hospital, later tracked the location of his stolen cellphone to Govan Mbeki Avenue, in Central.
Accompanied by police officers, he followed up on the location, but the suspects and the device could not be found.
‘Almost a statistic’
Speaking during a parliamentary debate, Nodada said he was “almost a statistic of how the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality fails to keep our streets safe. Another headline, another grieving family.
“I was fortunate enough to make it out alive. Thousands of South Africans sadly don’t.”
He said what happened to him and his friend was an example of the problems he has long warned about — rising crime, broken streetlights and a lack of visible policing.
“Crime rips lives and communities apart. I am no exception. Thousands of families are victims of failing municipalities and unsafe streets.
“This weekend, I came closer to it than anyone should ever have to. Had we not fought back, had the response time been slower, the same fate suffered by countless victims of violent crime could have been ours.”
Nodada told Ramaphosa that criminals thrived when municipalities failed to maintain basic infrastructure.
“Criminals thrive when municipalities fail at the fundamentals, when streetlights stay broken, when stolen infrastructure is ignored, when bushes become hiding places, when police are under-resourced and when local governments stop governing.”
He accused Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe’s administration of failing to prioritise safety and again raised concerns about the state of the former Walmer satellite police station, which has stood abandoned since its closure in 2017.
“In a city where 126 Metro Police officers have only three working vehicles per shift, more than 100 funded posts in the Metro Safety and Security Department have stood vacant for nearly two years.
“Yet the municipality has spent R69-million on obsolete 15-year-old security equipment while leaving almost 80% of its safety and security budget unspent.”
Nodada called for the urgent establishment of a fully functional joint operations centre in Nelson Mandela Bay, integrating SAPS, metro police, private security and crime-fighting technology.
He also criticised the state of the Nelson Mandela Bay Flying Squad, which he said had become known as the “Dying Squad” because of a lack of resources.
“South Africans are indeed tired of speeches after funerals, tired of promises after statistics and endless calls for patience while criminals and gangs run their communities.
“Mr President, our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter. Otherwise, we too will end up in the grave of crime. If we fail to act against crime and local government failure, more South Africans will not merely lose hope, they will lose their lives,” he said.
Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said the attack was the latest incident to raise concern about safety along parts of the beachfront.
According to Tappan, a contractor responsible for repairing streetlights in the area had halted work because of payment disputes and a lack of stock.
He said efforts to improve security had been hampered by staff shortages and the absence of after-hours municipal security services.
‘Little progress’
Repeated requests for CCTV cameras and a comprehensive security plan from the city had yielded little progress, Tappan said.
Describing the attack as “disastrous”, Tappan said he was particularly concerned about visitor safety at upcoming sporting events, including the Lifesaving World Championships.
“Security is a disaster.
“These guys either come from Central or live in the sand dunes. They move into the area and wait because there isn’t enough security, especially at the times when people are most vulnerable, leaving restaurants and pubs.
“They were attacked by three men armed with knives. It’s absolutely horrible. It’s disastrous.”
Nodada, who has lived in Gqeberha since arriving as a student at Nelson Mandela University in 2012, said the beachfront precinct had changed dramatically over the years.
“There used to be traders there. There used to be activity every weekend, well into the evening. There was a buzz around that area.
“That has changed completely. It has become dangerous and it’s become dark.”
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality did not respond to questions on improving beachfront security and streetlight repairs. Any response received will be added. DM