KP95DAO
January 22, 2003, 07:01 PM
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=15&art_id=qw1043230860551B265&set_id=1
'Crime is now as rampant as ever'
January 22 2003 at 01:20PM
Home Affairs Minister and Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi warned on Tuesday that drastic action was needed to reverse what he termed the trend in South Africa to anarchy.
The minister said in a statement that January 20 should be remembered as a day all South Africans received a "wake up call" to the levels of lawlessness and criminality in the country.
South Africans had to face up to the realities of baby rapes, pervasive criminality and endemic lack of respect for law and order, and that government's efforts to curb crime had not succeeded.
"For too long there has been ambivalence and indecision and we must turn the situation around before we reach the point of no return towards anarchy...
'The death of Prince Mazwi is for me like the death of my own son'
"... to realise that we need a new type of moral leadership to project the willingness of the state and of all the people of goodwill to deal effectively with these matters."
Buthelezi said the death this week of Prince Mazwi, the son of KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC and member of the Zulu royalty, Prince Gideon Zulu, had "shattered his soul".
"The death of Prince Mazwi is for me like the death of my own son, as I saw him grow under my eyes," he said.
The 37-year-old prince was shot on Monday in an attack on a car near Ulundi. He died in Durban's St Augustine's hospital on Tuesday.
His mother Winifred Dlamini-Zulu and their driver were wounded in the attack.
'A climate of lawlessness, impunity and criminal arrogance'
Buthelezi said the attack proved beyond doubt that no one was safe from crime.
He added that "the outrageous temerity" of the attack on Prince Mazwi was matched by the horror and blind brutality of the massacre of eight gay men in Cape Town.
"This massacre seems to be an unspeakable expression of hate against the gay community of South Africa. The whole of South Africa is shocked.
"Even though unrelated, these two crimes are the most evident symptoms of the climate of lawlessness, impunity and criminal arrogance which has turned all South Africans, irrespective of status, social position, race or creed, into actual or potential victims of crime," he said.
The minister said South Africans could not allow more of such crimes to take place and allow such seemingly endless escalation of brutality.
"Crime is now as rampant as ever and is fuelled by the expectation of impunity flowing from a judicial system which is just not performing."
Not enough was being done to deal with crime and to reject a culture of rebellion, lawlessness and insurrection which underpinned it.
"Yesterday's culture of violence of the armed struggle and activities aimed at making the country lawless and ungovernable during the struggle, have become today's criminal realities," he said. - Sapa
____________________________________________________
This as they restrict the ownership of personal firearms even more.
Of course, one must remember that the Inkatha Party is a function of the Zulu tribe which was a "partner" of the former rulers of SA. This does not endear them with the ANC led current government.
I think too much water has passed under the bridge for any good end.
'Crime is now as rampant as ever'
January 22 2003 at 01:20PM
Home Affairs Minister and Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi warned on Tuesday that drastic action was needed to reverse what he termed the trend in South Africa to anarchy.
The minister said in a statement that January 20 should be remembered as a day all South Africans received a "wake up call" to the levels of lawlessness and criminality in the country.
South Africans had to face up to the realities of baby rapes, pervasive criminality and endemic lack of respect for law and order, and that government's efforts to curb crime had not succeeded.
"For too long there has been ambivalence and indecision and we must turn the situation around before we reach the point of no return towards anarchy...
'The death of Prince Mazwi is for me like the death of my own son'
"... to realise that we need a new type of moral leadership to project the willingness of the state and of all the people of goodwill to deal effectively with these matters."
Buthelezi said the death this week of Prince Mazwi, the son of KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC and member of the Zulu royalty, Prince Gideon Zulu, had "shattered his soul".
"The death of Prince Mazwi is for me like the death of my own son, as I saw him grow under my eyes," he said.
The 37-year-old prince was shot on Monday in an attack on a car near Ulundi. He died in Durban's St Augustine's hospital on Tuesday.
His mother Winifred Dlamini-Zulu and their driver were wounded in the attack.
'A climate of lawlessness, impunity and criminal arrogance'
Buthelezi said the attack proved beyond doubt that no one was safe from crime.
He added that "the outrageous temerity" of the attack on Prince Mazwi was matched by the horror and blind brutality of the massacre of eight gay men in Cape Town.
"This massacre seems to be an unspeakable expression of hate against the gay community of South Africa. The whole of South Africa is shocked.
"Even though unrelated, these two crimes are the most evident symptoms of the climate of lawlessness, impunity and criminal arrogance which has turned all South Africans, irrespective of status, social position, race or creed, into actual or potential victims of crime," he said.
The minister said South Africans could not allow more of such crimes to take place and allow such seemingly endless escalation of brutality.
"Crime is now as rampant as ever and is fuelled by the expectation of impunity flowing from a judicial system which is just not performing."
Not enough was being done to deal with crime and to reject a culture of rebellion, lawlessness and insurrection which underpinned it.
"Yesterday's culture of violence of the armed struggle and activities aimed at making the country lawless and ungovernable during the struggle, have become today's criminal realities," he said. - Sapa
____________________________________________________
This as they restrict the ownership of personal firearms even more.
Of course, one must remember that the Inkatha Party is a function of the Zulu tribe which was a "partner" of the former rulers of SA. This does not endear them with the ANC led current government.
I think too much water has passed under the bridge for any good end.