Thrashing public property, intimidating and assaulting people as well as vulgarity no longer guarantee success for the aggrieved.  We see daily how people trash their townships and still get no real solution to their problem.

This does not only waste money it also endangers lives of innocent people, creating delays in government delivery programmes. No one really wins in such a situation because the government has to then use the money allocated for service delivery to fix all the destroyed properties.

Is it not time we used our constitution which enshrines our rights and provides mechanisms for alternative problem resolutions through legal institutions and that will represent the aggrieved? Some of these institutions are the Public Protector, Human Rights Commission, Equality Court, Constitutional Court, Presidents Hotline and the Gauteng Premiers Hotline, as well as other institutions that are there for our use as the public.

The successes that these institutions have achieved when approached for assistance speaks volumes for many; but it seems that there is a deliberate attempt by some people within our communities who ignore these institutions when communities have grievances, they perpetuate the myth that authorities will only hear their complaint when they protest violently; which is a lie.

An example is the Gauteng Premiers Hotline, a complainant gets a response and their compliant is followed up till it has been attended to. It seems that the DA and AFRIFORUM as well as other white organisations are the only people who believe in these institutions whereas we as Africans who feel the wrath of non-delivery of services and should be queuing for help from these institutions listen to demagogues who tell us otherwise; we prefer to make fools of ourselves on national TV and in newspapers, while not achieving real resolutions to our problems.