A genuine plan of action

Xenophobia and crime, like everything else in South Africa, can be brought under control relatively quickly if the necessary desire exists at government level. Unfortunately, in too many areas this does not appear to be the case.

Statistics guiding the government have, for a long while now, confirmed that supporting Mugabe destabilises the region and costs this country billions. Yet regardless of the xenophobic consequences, increased crime and the pressure that it is putting on our poorer communities, the government has carried on supporting mad Mugabe regardless.

If government were genuinely concerned with xenophobia and the causes of it, they would have actively supported and insisted on a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. This would have immediately eased pressure on our poorer communities with millions of Zimbabweans returning home which, coupled to a better education on African politics and harder measures on xenophobes, would reduce the problem drastically.

Investing those wasted billions into Alexandra, Diepsloot and the rest would create jobs, add more housing and reduce crime. It would signal intent on the government’s part to deliver on its promises.

Polokwane was an overwhelming mandate to tackle poverty and uplift these communities. It was also confirmation of what the ANC has done for transformation in the past 14 years, with a lot of credit due to them. However wherever we look there are also mistakes and a great deal of wastage

Use crime and health as examples.

Instead of sacking a police chief suspected of serious corruption, we’ve landed up losing an elite unit in the Scorpions, ongoing enquiries with hair-raising revelations and zero accountability. The police in general are woefully short of resources and, much of the time, clear mandates from the government. Throw in the war between the Scorpions and the police, as a direct result of political interference, and anyone looking at this would seriously question the desire to fight crime.

Instead of sacking a Kwazulu/Natal MEC for health, for her ridiculous vanity and posturing over a pathetic incident (throwing her picture in the dustbin), they would rather embroil doctors in investigations and medical lunacy. While the doctors were trying to provide healthcare according to the World Health Organisation standards, this Aids denialist was more concerned about the lack of “discipline” and showing us exactly why she shouldn’t be the boss. Everything but saving the lives of unborn babies was on the agenda.

We shouldn’t be surprised after seeing over a hundred children die in the Eastern Cape from drinking water, about which the municipality was warned against but failed to advise the public. To date nobody has been charged with culpable homicide. In the case of Health, the desire is to protect image and backsides, with saving lives and treating people a side issue.

It is this focus on the garbage, lack of accountability and posturing which needs to be replaced with a desire to do the right thing or be replaced.

Which leads us to the ANC and the government in waiting. Jacob Zuma has on a number of occasions advised us that street committees could prove useful as a method of fighting crime. If one has regards to this old ANC “guideline” from apartheid days, they might well play a significant role in bringing crime levels down to respectable levels.

(When you read it you’ll be amazed at how many parallels can be drawn between the problems facing the ANC then and now).

By formalising areas or sections of communities into units to fight crime, you also provide the opportunity to educate people on xenophobia and any other pressing issues of the day.

This can however only be a measure in addition to other initiatives which express and demonstrate the new government’s desire to clean up crime. This means giving the police the resources they need, not protecting cronies from their actions, and never utilising the police outside their mandate as a political tool. It means restoring pride in the police by promoting a system of values within the communities which sees combatting of crime as a priority and shielding criminals as harming your neighbors and society as a whole.

It also means bringing the criminal justice system up to date on personnel and stocked with the resources that it needs to deliver justice speedily and fairly. It means building prisons or outsourcing rather than general amnesties which release thousands of offenders back into society.

Denying bail to violent criminals, instituting a far far far bigger element of education and rehabilitation into our prisons rather than simply delivering retribution and little else is also required. Utilising the security industry and their resources as agreed between the police and them is another good step.

At the same time we need to bring back national service in order to instil discipline and give our youth some sort of direction. Teach them independence, responsibility as well as pride in themselves and caring about other people. While they’re at it if they wouldn’t mind looking after the border…

If the public sees the government’s desire to curb crime and that their conduct is in keeping with that, you may well be pleasantly surprised at the response.

As we have seen in terms of, for example xenophobia and Zimbabwe, where government or organisations want to do the right thing, the support is overwhelming and knows no colour.

We need desire and politicians with the courage to stick to their guns in doing the right thing, just as Mbeki has done with Trevor Manuel on economic policy. Unfortunately other areas have clouded the many good things our president has done.

That is why I believe the time has come to bring Winnie Madikezela-Mandela far closer to the centre of power, the ANC delegates’ first choice at Polokwane, and now drawing support from all communities as a lady doing the right things at the right time.

She has added maturity and wisdom to her steel and it would be silly to allow someone with that support and experience to go to waste.

Make it so Mr Memela…no, not roll roll roll your car gently down the street Robert, only Ms Madikezela-Mandela