The brutish conduct by veterans must stop

There are many disturbing elements to last week’s hostage drama, in which senior government ministers were detained for three hours by people purporting to be liberation army veterans.

Foremost is that they believed they could use intimidation as a way to press their demands for a payment of R4.2 million each for thousands of former combatants who supposedly served in the ANC’s armed wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe.

That they chose this violent way of expressing their discontent is not surprising, considering it is the most effective way of getting the attention of the senior levels of the ANC.

That does not in any way make it justifiable, though, because it is yet another nail in the coffin of law and order in this country.

As important is their belief that they, by virtue of having allegedly taken part in the struggle to liberate the country from apartheid – never mind the huge doubt about whether they are impostors or not – are entitled to special treatment.

That is not surprising either, given that a culture of entitlement has been one of the fastest-growing social phenomena in recent years.

However, the claim of these “soldiers” that they deserve a “golden handshake” for allegedly risking their lives is nothing more than spitting in the faces of the thousands of ordinary South Africans – those part of the Mass Democratic Movement and the United Democratic Front – who actually did more than any armed combatants to bring the National Party government to the negotiating table.

Also, the reality is that there were multiple processes – and payouts – to encourage former fighters to either join the military or exit into normal life.

These people apparently chose not to do so.

They should not be allowed to continue their thuggish behaviour.