The article “Drunk drivers should be jailed” Cape Argus Wednesday 28th June is an old story that requires an answer. For decades intoxicated drivers have killed thousands of innocent people with limited costs for the intoxicated driver equated to the dead, maimed and very injured victims.
Since it does not seem likely that the mayhem on our roads will stop anytime soon, I will continue to advocate a revisit of our Constitution with the agenda of stronger federal states and thus reassigned responsibility. Federalism with localized law enforcement and judiciary is the only way to stop the carnage which is only receiving lip service and posturing from the national levels.
Thus if folk in KwaZulu/Natal for example, enjoy sharing their roads with drunk drivers they would have the right not to prosecute and we in the Western Cape will send drunks to prison for 20 years.
Each province could have an actual poll and thus let local voters decide. Those who oppose a 20 years sentence for intoxicated drivers would have the chance to argue their case in a public domain and those seeking 20 years would be entitled to an equal chance just like the British did with Brexit.
This is the real meaning of “taking democracy to the masses and listening to the will of the people”. While the notion of a national democratic revolution has been spoken about for decades, few actually understand what it means.
While we are talking about intoxicated drivers who murder people willy-nilly on our roads, why not a poll on the death penalty for murders, child rapists and so on? Why can voters not decide what is good for our society, we are the people who pay rates and taxes that sustain the government?
Who gave a handful of judges the right to decide that it is ok for 17 000 South Africans to be murdered annually? I do not remember voting on the repeal of the death penalty or was that just another decision that was made on our behalf by those who claim they know better?
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress