Residents of Kagiso block roads with burning tyres and rocks during a protest against illegal mining and rising crime associated to the mining in the area. Picture: Michel Bega
Taking matters into your own hands is not something we will ever condone.
However, poor service delivery, the unacceptable high crime rate, huge unemployment levels and constant load shedding have pushed many of us to melting point.
The scenes over the last week in Kagiso and Tembisa – for different reasons – once again highlights how the public has lost any confidence in the government and its law enforcement agencies.
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Communities simply have had enough and, after years and years of being ignored, are hitting back. These communities are tired of broken promises from politicians ahead of elections.
They want to see a change in their lives, not five steps backwards.
Ramaphosa, delivering the keynote address at the closing of the socioeconomic summit yesterday, said: “We cannot, as South Africans, reach a level where we resort to mob justice.”
Mr President, fair enough, but isn’t it high time the government start doing what they promise… create a better life for all?
Sadly, failure to do so will only result in many more violent protests.
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