The fact that two of the killer’s accomplices were immediately arrested by the dead cop’s colleagues, while the main suspect managed to evade arrest and disappear into the night, may bring solace to both his colleagues and the public. Sadly, his life cannot be replaced, nor can he be brought back to his beloved family again.
There is no doubt that criminals are making their presence in our midst felt through vicious acts that have even the Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula in an angry mood. The fact that these criminals are armed and will not hesitate to use their firepower against anyone who stands in their way seems to scare the daylights out of just about every law-abiding citizen.
Yes, it is all very well and good for some of us to call for a tougher stance by our police officers on crime against the unruly and lawless elements of our society, but then, what kind of society are we moulding for our children? Is violence really the future in which open warfare between the police and criminals is going to be the order of the day?
Mbalula has warned that the country’s residents are faced with the serious threat of violent crimes committed by heavily armed by criminals. He, however, promised residents that the police will do everything in their power to fight fire with fire.
Until then, as residents we also need to stand on the side of the police and help root out these killers. These criminals are, of course, not aliens from outer space, but are in fact sons, brothers and fathers of people who live among us.
Paying his last respects to one of his fallen officers, Mbalula urged residents in our respective communities to stand up and expose these evil-doers to the police. Because unless we all do so, we risk the chance of having our townships run and controlled by criminals.
On the other hand, as community members we all need to urge the police minister to root out the criminal elements among his forces. It is an open secret among the most concerned citizens of our beloved land that not all is well within the police force.
There is not a flicker of a doubt in people’s minds that the examples set by some very senior policemen and -women on the force leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. If we are really serious about fighting and defeating crime, the example set by our law enforcement officers should be impeccable.
Pregnant teenage learners at our schools are a shame
As the father of a nine-year-old daughter, my biggest fear is what the parents of just over 4 000 pregnant schoolgirls in South Africa are already battling with – teenage pregnancy.
When I hear education authorities sounding stunned by some of the subtle causes that seem to have led to this deplorable situation, my response to them is, look no further than the programmes on our national television stations.
Perhaps it is about time we removed some of these programmes and make television an entertaining forum for families in our homes without spicing up these progammes with nudity, porn and excessive sexual innuendos.
Also Read: Vosloorus SAPS hunt cop killer , Cop–killers must hang
