A heinous and unthinkable crime was committed over the weekend in Lusikisiki where 18 members of a community who had gathered as part of mourning rights and rituals were gunned down by unknown assailants in the Eastern Cape.
The prevalence of gunmen is not only concerning and rife in our country, but it robs our society of basic human life, contributors to the economy and much-needed talent on a daily basis. The effects of these acts are scarring to the human psyche, general community development and wellbeing in the long run.
In 2015, a well-known businessman, Wandile Bozwana, who hails from the North West, was gunned down, leaving his family and community reeling from the loss of this member of society. The loss of business people and budding entrepreneurs in various industries continues to ravage the country, leaving behind a trail of destruction to family units and potential in economic development terms.
In July 2023, a lesser known, beloved community member and entrepreneur in the road construction industry, Lethukuthula Gumede, was mercilessly gunned down in Cato Manor at the hands of unknown murderers for what is suspected to be an industry-related hit, though police have been slow in solving this case. The reasons behind his and many other murders remain unresolved and a symbol of a culture of killing our own who try to make a difference or who try to prosper through hard work and sheer self-determination.
One thing that remains clear is murder has become a “norm” and all too easily accessible in our country, with little or no consequence from law enforcement. It is a well-known suspicion that these gunmen predominantly come from poor backgrounds and live in hostels across the country. It therefore makes sense to deduce that hostels are a haven for hardened murderous criminals who are armed and dangerous.
Most of the firearms used in these crimes are unregistered and illegal. It begs the question therefore, why is law enforcement not focusing and prioritising raids and searches as part of their crime-prevention strategies? It is not enough that the law should be reactive and only “try to resolve crime” after the fact, when the society it serves can be better served by preventing crime from occurring.
As a society, we should be asking ourselves serious questions. How did we get to the point where ending human life has become an everyday job that is acceptable and regularly practised to the point where there is even a so-called industry term for it, “izinkabi”?
The level of rot is reflected in the undeniable existence of this “industry”. Though this weekend's case is still under investigation and no fact points to the use of the services of “inkabi”, they are the closest example to the concept of cheap murder, that lives do not matter as much as they used to.
What drives people who hail from impoverished communities to want to come to urban areas, live in hostels and practise the killing of others as a means to an end? How is poverty and violent crime related, especially considering that 55.5% of South Africans, according to statistics, live in poverty?
More importantly, what economic strategies are there from government to reduce poverty and directly and indirectly reduce crime, specifically violent crimes in our society?
Some of these questions remain unanswered and the solutions to these problems remain unclear, as it is evident that serious and violent crimes continue unabated as a direct or indirect consequence of poverty and ever-growing inequality. What we do know, however, as it was theorised by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay in 1942, is that there is a relationship between an increase in violent crimes as there is an increase in poverty. This was further backed by the UN in a meeting held in 2005 where the Third Committee on the discussion of crime prevention and international drug trade stated: “Crime is both cause and consequence of poverty,”
With so many capable economists and criminologists in our country, how is it that we continue to grow in poverty and crime? Why is this not a priority that is front and centre for the protection and betterment of the lives of the citizens of this country?
If the government of the people does not prioritise the wellbeing of the people, then who or what is the government prioritising and serving and for what purpose?
The tragedy of Lusikisiki is not just a local tragedy that can be characterised as criminal acts that are confined to an isolated occurrence in some far-flung small town, but it is a reflection of the broader and deeper problems faced by South Africans everywhere, everyday without recourse and without strategic meaningful leadership to actually resolve our societal ills.
If this is the norm, we are on our own, and it is almost unimaginable what will happen if we continue to grow in poverty and inequality, resulting in such brutal and unthinkable crime. It seems like we are in a moral and lawlessness nose dive and there is no-one at the controls, because perhaps the leaders are too busy focusing on “priorities” that are so far removed from their own society, they may as well be existing to serve anyone else’s interests but those of the citizens of South Africa.
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