Posted on 12/26/2006 10:27:07 PM PST by LibWhacker
Johannesburg - The South African government's continued failure to bring crime under control is leading a growing number of citizens to start taking the law into their own hands, often with deadly results.
"It is sometimes justifiable," says Frits Kreil, who runs a self-styled "community policing forum" in Johannesburg's northern Randburg suburb.
"People are fed up with crime and resort to killing to protect their lives and those of their loved ones."
In one of the latest such incidents, three members of an armed gang were killed when a local at a pub in the suburb of Emmarentia opened fire as they robbed and pistol-whipped customers earlier this month.
The locals raised their glasses as the robbers lay dying and then rang the police. As one of the drinkers told the Beeld newspaper: "They died slowly, we all stood and laughed."
Police don't come
While reluctant to give their names, regulars at the pub voiced few regrets about the incident to AFP after the shooting.
"We cannot live our lives in fear any more," said one. "Whenever we feel threatened or attacked, we shoot and call the police later."
The feeling that summoning the police is pointless is widespread in one of the world's most crime-ridden countries. More than half a million burglaries or robberies were reported last year while 18 528 people were murdered.
Kriel said that he would neither "criticise nor condone" the practice of opening fire before calling the police but acknowledged that it went on.
"Citizens feel they live in danger, and sometimes waiting for cops is a huge time delay," he said.
While the white middle-class can afford to invest in hi-tech security systems in order to prevent their homes being targeted, residents in the black townships cannot afford such luxuries.
Austin Dube, who runs a scheme similar to Kriel's in the Alexandra township, said his fellow neighbourhood patrollers had more trust from the local community than the regular police.
"We get complaints and also realise that the police do not respond in time to emergency calls because they use cars for their own purposes," said Dube.
"This promotes the idea of people dealing with criminals their own way. They are fed up," he added.
The police and government both claim that they are beginning to make inroads into the crime rate but analysts say that people are feeling as unsafe as ever.
"The reason citizens respond the way they do is because they have lost confidence not only in the police but the whole criminal justice system," said Antoinette Louw of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
"More often than not, people are told there are no (police) vehicles, or personnel. That is why they take the law into their own hands," she added.
The first signs of South Africans taking the law into their own hands was seen in the late 1990s when kangaroo courts began springing up, particularly in rural areas.
Lately however the phenomenon of seeking instant justice has been on the rise.
When a group of street vendors caught up with an armed robber soon after he raided a garage in Durban this week, they beat him so badly that he needed life-saving treatment in hospital.
Two suspected rapists were killed in the same city several weeks ago when a mob dragged them from a police car and stoned them to death shortly after their arrest.
National police spokesperson Phuti Setati said taking the law into one's own hands was "not allowed, and will never be tolerated."
"We do not encourage people to go around taking the law into their own hands. Instead if possible, we encourage them to effect citizen's arrest and call the police," he told AFP.
Interesting keywords. ;)
That might be true but it sure will "take a bite out of crime." It's difficult to commit a crime when you're dead. (Unless you're a DemocRAT).
The locals raised their glasses as the robbers lay dying and then rang the police. As one of the drinkers told the Beeld newspaper: "They died slowly, we all stood and laughed."
Well I was laughing when I read that!!
"Two suspected rapists were killed in the same city several weeks ago when a mob dragged them from a police car and stoned them to death shortly after their arrest."
Islam in Today’s South Africa
In South Africa, there are approximately 455 mosques, 408 educational institutes, colleges, Muslim private schools, religious instruction centres, and colleges of Islamic Sciences. There are universities that offer Arabic and Islamic Studies as part of their academic curriculum. The number of organisations involved in general welfare activities, e.g., social, cultural, business, religious, media, youth and gender are around 465. Some of the important private Islamic radio stations are: Al-Zaheer Radio Station, Fordsburg; Azaania Broadcasting, Durban; Institute for Islamic Services; Radio Pretoria; Islamic Broadcasting Services International, Mayfair; Radio 786, Cape Town; The Voice Radio Station, Mayfair and The Voice of the Cape Town...
http://www.themodernreligion.com/convert/southafrica.html
Mighty white of him.
"Citizens feel they live in danger, and sometimes waiting for cops is a huge time delay," he said.
While the white middle-class can afford to invest in hi-tech security systems in order to prevent their homes being targeted, residents in the black townships cannot afford such luxuries
Write to Mr Mugabe, and ask him how to handle this inequity. Zimabawe solved that problem quite handily.
On second thought, better send a runner; the Zimbabwe phone system miight be down. Better give him a pack of food & water too; he probably wouldn't find any place to buy any, once he crossed the border.
"This promotes the idea of people dealing with criminals their own way. They are fed up," he added.
I thought the Lefty mantra was "Power to the People!"? So what's his complaint?
That'll happen.
We'll be seeing it here if things keep going the way they are. People have a right to defend themselves.
My local news featured the local rise in home break ins tonight. Most prominent was a criminal defense lawyer telling us how careful we must be in deciding to pull the trigger on such an animal. Better be nice to those thugs or you might get sued into oblivion. I guess if someone breaks down my door while I'm home, I'm going to jail and will be destitute, because my response will be to empty the clip into him.
the good old days
(( ping ))
You might get a kick out of this.
The time in South Africa is about 4 years 'til Zimbabwe.
I didn't care for the old government, but replacing it with commies was foolish.
That depends upon WHO follows Mbeki.
Ahhh Africa.....Just Ahhhh, that's it.
"Two suspected rapists were killed in the same city several weeks ago"
I thought the ROP killed the rapee for dishonoring their family
RIP, Bronson. Too bad nobody makes Chuck movies anymore. Ahnold is busy skiing errr governing, Clint has gone mainstream, Segal is wacked out....
Well done lads!
It's the STONING that makes me suspect something islamic...
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