Why the National government {ANC} is resisting the notion of sending the military into violent townships like Manenberg is illogical. While there may be political excuses, the government has failed dismally in terms of public relations around this issue.
On the flip side, the Provincial Government {DA} is milking the hesitancy for all that its worth. At the same time, the police are doing their best to ensure that anyone who combats crime is suspended {CPF chairperson} or incarcerated {people against villains}. Since the police employ 1448 members with criminal records, the department’s image requires a critical overhaul.
While all this ensues, Zweli Mnisi, spokesperson for the Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa from the safety of his office states “We need to get to the root cause”. I suspect that he is advising locals to ignore the rapid gun fire and pontificate the academic milieu regarding the issue of violent crime.
History confirms that as soon as the shooting stops things continue as usual and few mention the “root causes” until the shooting restarts. Why Mnisi a national envoy engages in such drivel when meaningful action is required is truly mind blowing.
Driving to and from work I see numerous soldiers guarding the Castle which has not been threatened for centuries. Ironically, whereas the armed forces are relaxing in their barracks, the streets of the Cape Flats are over-run with gun toting criminals. In nations like India and China there are literally billions of people who live in abject poverty that is far worse than the poverty in South Africa. Yet their villains per capita are far less ferocious than local criminals.
In my opinion our political leadership is far too lenient towards criminality. How else can one explain the continuous release of fierce criminals back into society?
In the words of Albert Einstein “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress