The IFP calls on all South Africans to fight crime in the same manner they fought apartheid, after a video footage showing two men accosting SABC crew, and it further calls on the police to urgently arrest the criminals involved.
“The battle against crime is a fight that we must fight with the same vigour our forefathers used to dismantle the pillars of apartheid. I believe we need much harsher punishment for criminals in this country. We want those who have committed crimes to be put firmly where they cannot hurt the society again,” said IFP National Chairperson, Mr Blessed Gwala.
“Most people who are accused of such crimes are repeat offenders and the criminal justice system has not done a good job of putting the most violent criminals behind bars. To be frank about this, I don’t think it is fair to continue to ask the police to go after the same guys over and over again and put themselves in dangerous situations, when these offences are plead away or dismissed in the courts. If we do not support the initiatives to reform the system, the verdict could only be: Guilty of waste and injustice,” continued Mr Gwala.
“Nobody is a criminal from birth. It is the environment in which he grows up that makes him a criminal or a respected man. Some people turn into criminals due to poverty as they are not able to nourish their families. Criminals needs punishment but first one must look into the reason for the crime and then punish the culprit. We must improve the justice system by improving social and economical factors so that the initial conditions influencing individuals to commit crimes is negligible, “concluded Mr Gwala.
The IFP further urges government to conduct a series of hearings on the root causes of crime and to conduct a comprehensive review of all national social programs, inviting the director of each program to present the evaluation data on the program’s effectiveness (or lack of it) in reducing crime.
Issued by:
Mr Blessed Gwala,
IFP National Chairperson, 078 290 5842
Media Enquiries:
Mr Phendulani Biyase,
IFP Media Officer, 073 024 5675