When a boy steals a loaf of bread, who is the real culprit? Is it the thief, who took what did not belong to him? Or his community, who did not notice his desperate hunger? Or is it his government, which failed in its mandate to provide its people with their basic needs?
And how should we respond to this crime? Jail the thief? Feed him? Or find his guardians a job, so they can better provide for the boy's needs?
None of these was an acceptable option in a small Eastern Cape village, where community members chose rather to beat the 14-year-old boy to death.
The incident happened in Mhlahlane, about 50km from Mthatha. Two boys aged 14 and 16 were caught by the owner of a house they broke into, from which they had stolen goods, bread, jam, instant porridge and R653 cash.
The 16-year-old survived the ensuing assault with a knobkerrie, but his younger accomplice did not. Police said four people have been arrested — the mother of the surviving boy, the uncle of the dead 14-year-old, the owner of the stolen items and an in-law of the owner.
That a punishment so completely out of proportion with the transgression could be meted out by family members is difficult to comprehend. A representative of the dead boy's family said he was “extremely hungry because we are a family who struggles to put food on the table”.
The horrific case is a brutal reminder that in South Africa, crime and poverty are intertwined. Mob justice is thriving, with a growing number of communities resorting to crime to show their disapproval of crime.
It's a reaction that defies logic, until you realise that poverty breeds crime. And South Africa, a country with extreme inequality and steeped in historical violence, is besieged by poverty and unemployment.
There are many reasons why crime and poverty are interlinked in South Africa: a lack of access to opportunities, social exclusion and marginalisation and financial desperation are among them
There is no disputing that stealing is unacceptable and that South Africa must adopt a zero tolerance to any infringement if it hopes to ever throw off the blanket of crime.
But government's failure to stem crime has sparked growing frustration and prompted some communities to take matters into their own hands, often with fatal results. Add to this growing poverty due to rampant unemployment, and the outcome is sadly inevitable.
Some 23% of children in South Africa are afflicted with “severe food poverty”, according to a 2024 Unicef report. There are many reasons why crime and poverty are interlinked in South Africa: a lack of access to opportunities, social exclusion and marginalisation and financial desperation are among them.
Was the brutal assault of these two boys an act of discipline aimed at teaching them a lesson? Or an opportunity to work out some of the attackers' own frustrations? Or perhaps it was meant to send a message to others who might be considering a career in petty crime.
If so, objective achieved. That 14-year-old will never steal anything ever again. He will also never turn 15. Or hug his mother. Or finish school. His life is over. It was worth a grand total of R653.
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