South Africa is at the mercy of criminals

It is said that good governance never only depends on laws but on the personal qualities and integrity of those who govern. If those who govern have weak personalities, are disconnected from reality and lack integrity and backbone, or believe only they are entitled to govern, governance will increasingly weaken and ultimately fail.

Weak or fragile governance is the primary driver for state failure and its effects cascade across the entire nation – especially in the power and public safety domains. Likewise, the true strength of any state is reflected in its ability to project real, credible and sustainable power and security. This power can be economic, public safety, military, technological and so on, and is projected domestically, regionally, continentally or internationally.

Strong state power implies strong national security. It is also indicative of a unified and law-abiding society.

South Africa’s inability to project credible power, overseen as it is by poor, weak or even failed governance does not bode well for our future. Similarly, the country’s dismal record to ensure public safety and security is well documented and known.

Every business entity, company, farmer and citizen of this once-great country – and every tourist who is brave enough to venture here – is faced with security threats on a daily basis. Instead of fixing our nation’s ability to enforce national security and ensure public safety, the now cancelled R22 million flag project was the best they can come up with.

Fortunately, the public raised their voices in concern at such wasteful expenditure. Of course, had our government done us all proud and resolved our major national security failings, I am sure the public would proudly have supported the massive flag venture. But we have little left to feel proud about. Besides, this is money that could be better spent on law enforcement or the armed forces.

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Our government inherited a once thriving and respected defence industry. What was once considered to be a world-renown developer of cutting-edge technology has been degraded to the point where SA now primarily has antiquated or outdated military equipment. The government has only itself to blame for the collapse of this strategic asset.

Our defence force has been crippled by mismanagement and a lack of training, poor discipline and many other troubles. Its inability to rapidly deploy is undisputed. Many of our frontline soldiers are old enough to be housed in old-age homes. Here, too, a strong inheritance was squandered as our army has transitioned from armoured vehicles to commercial vehicles.

Our law enforcement structures are either being overrun, and collapsing from within. Anarchists, hijackers, drug dealers, armed robbers and such operate with impunity, safe in the knowledge the judicial system will forgive them and allow them to continue their crime sprees. It is well reported that some members of our national and local law enforcement agencies “rent out” weapons and uniforms to criminals. What type of public safety and security system do we have when those entrusted to uphold laws break them?

National law enforcement has become dysfunctional, as has local law enforcement. It makes one wonder what some of our taxes are used for. The government’s plan to counter crime? Disarm legal gun owners to prevent them fighting off criminals – and fill potholes.

Our intelligence services “missed” identifying the destructive uprisings in 2021 despite the mainstream media issuing numerous warnings of what was coming. Do we need such services if they are unable to provide forewarning? Our country’s entire national security structures are under a sustained and criminally well-funded assault.

Yet our so-called leaders are blissfully unaware of this very disturbing fact and appear to live in a disconnected universe. Or are many of them part of this virus that has infected the nation?

Already overburdened citizens are forced to band together and fund themselves in attempts to ensure their safety, along with the safety of critical infrastructure. They launch their own patrols to secure residential areas, protect underground power cables and are forced to use their own money, vehicles and equipment to do this.

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Whereas these failings represent a serious collapse of national security, they also create an environment for the establishment of vigilante groups, something that is a by-product of a lack of safety and security. It is also indicative of gross failures of government and that of a failed state overseen by a boneless government.

Once a country’s national security structures collapse, it is game over. Whereas we still have small isolated pockets of our security structures trying to stem the overwhelming tide that is smothering public safety and security, along with national power, the reality is that we have been steered into dangerous waters.

We must either choose to continue down this path or start demanding the removal of incompetent government ministers.

-Mashaba is a political advisor