Letter to the editor

Letter to the editor-Crime

http://www.tallus@sundaytimes.co.za/

Sir / Madam

R: E: Listen! Else we fall.

I am writing this letter with reference to the article published in the ‘Sunday Times’ dated 22 July 2007 regarding the son who found his parents brutally murdered in their farmhouse, after being notified by foreman.

I was rather disturbed and appalled to read that the couple’s car (late in their 70`s) had been stolen and their tuck shop in Kwa-Zulu Natal rummaged and torn apart.

The couple were stabbed and beaten to death which brings me to the very, very edge of my concern.

Each day the media saddens us with reports of violence, brutality, senseless attacks on innocent travellers and shoppers, mindless mayhem, family murders and suicides. People don’t like themselves and have thus turned to substance abuse and violence. People don’t like others because they constitute a threat to their way of life, and so they will do all they can by fair means or foul to change their situation. Unemployment, greed and laziness has made robbery, theft, hijacking, abduction and kidnapping the way of life.

September 2 1993 was a great moment in our nation’s history when people everyone stopped, joined hands, sang and prayed for peace. What an encouraging sight it was as we looked out and saw people from all walks of life holding hands as a pledge to work for peace. But that dream is far from reality. Welcome to the real world where children cannot play freely, women cannot walk freely and men cannot earn money freely. They are shot in their business places.

In South Africa, it seems as though night has invaded, has plunged our land into violence and is now nudging her over precipice of anarchy. The veiling blackness has blinded the people to hope and has settled heavily on their hearts. Sunny South Africa seems to have vanished into the coves of a ‘lost order’ along with peace and prosperity. Abnormality has become the norm to us, weapons are our bread especially the AK-47 seems to be a favourite ‘loaf’ and the spilling of blood, our ‘red wine’. The souls of the children reflect despair through their eyes and on the lifelines of their palms lays a prediction of a dismal future, of no tomorrow, only doom and gloom.

Now, an orphan, does this boy, like many others, see hope for tomorrow. He could have been a leader of tomorrow. This can all be changed in preparation for 2010. Children can smile again if the death penalty can be brought back with a passion, a promise of peace again. Murderers must be stopped, killers, rapists must be castrated and then killed. A passionate plea from all women who are victims. Every night, dark frightening night has its dawn. South Africa, there is hope for a violent-free World Cup.

I hope and trust that you will take my recommendation into consideration as well as publish this letter to make the public more aware of the situation in our country.

Yours faithfully,
Concerned
N. Ayob (www.naazneenayob@yahoo.com)