Lusikisiki massacre raises questions on crime

In the wake of the horrific slaughter of 18 members of a family in the Ngobozana village of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, many South Africans went into default mode by looking for someone – or some institution – to blame.

In the crosshairs of some were the forces of law and order – specifically those responsible for crime intelligence.

How could this happen and those who should be ferreting out information on possible crimes not know that this might happen?

That was the narrative pushed by some, possibly angry and wanting to point fingers.

ALSO READ: ‘We know who we are looking for’: Suspect in police custody for questioning on Lusikisiki shooting

Away from the heat of emotion, experts have pointed out, not unreasonably, that the murders were most likely part of a family feud, possibly going back a long time – and that, in a case such as that, there was little even a well-organised police Crime Intelligence unit could have done to predict what happened.

We say well-organised deliberately because, during the years of state capture, agents of Crime Intelligence were used to pursue perceived enemies of the looters.

The unit was frequently used by Jacob Zuma to fight his own factional battles within the ANC.

When a vital organisation such as Crime Intelligence is run by those with political motives – and infiltrated by agents who have anything but genuine crime on their agendas – then it is next to useless in providing advance warning of crime.

You only have to look around you to see how crime – and specifically organised crime – has mushroomed almost out of control over the past decade. In addition to “regular” crimes, syndicates specialising in drugs, smuggling, extortion and kidnapping, have been flourishing.

So, while the killings in Lusikisiki cannot be ascribed to poor vigilance by Crime Intelligence, the fact remains that this country needs a much better early warning system.

ALSO READ: ‘We’ll not allow criminals to prevail’: Ramaphosa says Lusikisiki shooting won’t go unpunished