Boy, we need some good news now

Here at HERAUT our Prozak supplies are running low and here’s why; 2017 started with the death of a young girl in Nigel who was electrocuted. We then wrote about a man in Heidelberg who disappeared without a trace and the following headline was that of a Nigel CPF member who was shot and killed while trying to protect his community.
We thought things would get better, but then some very influential residents in both Heidelberg and Nigel (a beloved doctor, teacher and farmer) passed away.
The following week four people were murdered on their farm in the Balfour/Devon district. At one stage we made the mistake of saying something stupid like “don’t worry it can’t get any worse.” And of course it did.
Last week (between Tuesday and Thursday) I listened to victims of three separate armed robberies telling their stories. To hear their voices tremble, to see how badly they were hurt and to then consider just how lucky they are to be alive… all those factors tend to make you appreciate the small things life has to offer.
This latest hat-trick of harassment where all the victims were tied-up and badly beaten, also brought out the not so good side in many people who, ironically,  believe they are helping the community.
In one instance a relatively important player in the fight against crime tried to dictate the wording of an article in such a way that his organisation would stand to benefit from it. He was far less concerned about the family and how traumatised they were. He wanted his agenda to be served and refused to provide HERAUT with photos unless he was allowed to proofread the article before we posted it online.
Big mistake, he would learn – as newspapers generally don’t respond well to threats. When this “concerned resident” saw that we would not be bullied or blackmailed, he ran to a mainstream publication – who coincidently misspelled the surname of the victim (throughout the article). Imagine that, holding a picture as ransom following a tragic incident where people could easily have been shot and killed. I honestly don’t know how some people sleep at night. Perhaps I’m missing the point, perhaps he was just trying to milk a bad situation for the benefit of the community at large.
All I know is that it is time for some good news as criminals have clearly taken over in Nigel, Balfour, Duduza, Alrapark and MacKenzieville in recent weeks. In Ratanda alone there were something like 15 burglaries in a matter of 10 days.
But wait, here comes the good news; according to our sources, criminal activity in Heidelberg appears to be more under control than in other areas. The reason? I’m no expert, but my money would be on the fact that the fight against crime in Heidelberg appears to be well coordinated – that and that the role players in this town somehow manage to forget about their egos and instead focus on the bigger picture.
That’s my opinion.