Crime rules, leadership reacts: Is South Africa past the point of no return?

There was a time when the murder of a medical doctor of the stature of Dr Gomolemo Mokae would have brought law enforcement agencies to a full emergency mode operation.

The press conference of the minister of police would have been on point in updating the nation on efforts to track down the criminals responsible for taking the life of a struggle icon whose contribution to bringing democracy to SA is immeasurable.

“Violent criminals have no regard for the lives of South Africans,” is such an obvious and textbook response from the president, through his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

It is not surprising at all that the president has been accused of being in a state of perpetual shock by some observers over many occurrences that have become common for ordinary citizens.

The response from the Presidency appears to be motivated by the need to merely say something on the situation and maintain political correctness.

Hence the need to include the murdered Eastern Cape community activist and whistle-blower Pamela Mabini and Imam Muhsin Hendricks.

Surely it occurs to the Presidency that the country and the shattered families of the murdered people are going to ask the question: “Is that all Mr President?”

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The deaths of their loved ones, however prominent they were in life, cannot simply be put down to the disregard that violent criminals have for human life.

The president should urgently mobilise the police department to track down these violent criminals.

But the country knows now that will not happen because, sadly, it appears that with regards to crime and violet criminals, in particular, the horse has long bolted.

How does the country know that violent crime has reached uncontrollable levels in South Africa?

When a shoot-out ensues between the bodyguards of a debt collection enforcer and nightclub security right in the middle of Africa’s richest square mile, Sandton.

Logic dictates that it should also be the country’s safest square mile, given its riches.

But because the country has reached a point of no return when it comes to violent crimes, no-one is safe – not anywhere in the country.

Night club patrons in Sandton, a farmer in some remote rural village in the Free State and a prominent medical doctor lying sick in bed in his home in Ga-Rankuwa all stand the same chance of having their lives snuffed out by a bullet at any time of the day.

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Violent crime is so rampant that hardly a week goes by without a video of some sort of crime trending on social media.

It is so bad that motorists now do not seek a hiding place when they come across a cash-in-transit heist taking place, they instantly take out their phones to record the action, showing the cash vans being blown up as they record.

Law enforcement probably get to watch the videos just like ordinary citizens do, way after the criminals have fled to safety and are done counting their loot.

There used to be a general complaint that “the law works for the rich and prominent”.

Although that might only have been a perception and not reality, it surely contributed to some criminals having a healthy fear of being caught after committing crimes.

Mr President, instead of being shocked by the violent murder of the next whistle-blower or prominent member of society, act now to restore some faith in law enforcement.

The National Health Insurance scheme and Covid grant will ultimately mean nothing if the recipients are murdered in cold blood daily.

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