MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Following the robbery and stabbing of a 40-year-old man on Diaz Beach earlier this month, Mossel Bay Advertiser sent enquiries to the Southern Cape Police as well as the Mossel Bay Municipality, asking whether Diaz Beach can be considered a crime hot-spot and what measures are being taken to manage recurring instances of crime in the area.
Prior crimes
The Advertiser has reported on a number of crimes that took place on or near Diaz Beach in Mossel Bay over the years.
In June 2021, a 21-year-old man from Boland Park in Mossel Bay died of a stab wound when he was robbed of his cellphone at the Beach Boulevard West and Louis Fourie Road intersection, next to Diaz Beach.
On 27 December 2024, a woman and her 12-year-old daughter were attacked and robbed while searching for pansy shells on the beach. The attack resulted in the woman sustaining two stab wounds to her arm, which required stitches.
Three days later, a 54-year-old man was threatened and robbed by two men wielding pangas at The Lofts apartments next to Diaz Beach.
Cyclists have also been robbed along Louis Fourie Road between the Diaz and De Bakke beaches in Mossel Bay, which the Advertiser reported on in February 2025.
However, a spokesperson for the Southern Cape Police, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, says the police do not have information available that would indicate Diaz Beach can be considered a hotspot for crime.
Spies says the latest stabbing on Diaz Beach is an isolated incident, but that there is strong co-operation between the police in Mossel Bay, the Mossel Bay Municipality's law enforcement, and private security companies and community safety structures.
"These forces meet frequently and jointly embark on crime-combatting operations. The response to incidents is mostly co-ordinated from the Joint Operations Centre [JOC] in Mossel Bay," he said.
Municipality responds
The municipality reiterated Spies' comments regarding its close partnerships with the police and other safety partners to support broader crime prevention efforts, but said that crime prevention and criminal law enforcement is primarily the mandate of the police.
"It should be noted that municipal law enforcement's mandate is primarily by-law enforcement, which determines the powers and actions that officers may execute. Within this mandate, the municipality conducts patrols across the municipal area, with specific focus on identified hotspots," said the municipality.
It added that the Diaz Beach area is already served by several CCTV cameras (which were expanded in 2025), and which are regularly used to assist the police in crime investigations.
Additionally, day and night patrols are continually conducted in the area.
During peak times such as festive seasons, additional manpower - including contractors - is deployed where possible to support increased operational needs and visitor volumes, says the municipality.
"While community safety remains a priority, available manpower does have an impact on operational deployment. No single residential area can be served exclusively at the expense of other communities that are also entitled to support."
Warning signs
According to the municipality, a warning sign was placed on Diaz Beach a few years ago to caution the public regarding possible safety risks. However, due to shifting beach sand and ocean action, the sign became hidden from public view over time.
Following the stabbing incident in December 2024, a new sign was placed on the beach, but as a result of severe weather events in Mossel Bay earlier this year, the sign cannot currently be retrieved.
When asked if the police would or could place a sign warning the public of possible crime in the area, Spies said the SAPS prefers to use existing platforms to engage directly with communities and deploy policing resources accordingly, to address safety concerns.
"The deployment and patrols are an operational matter, and we are not at liberty to divulge such information."
Previous articles:
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
