We know that murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. And when found guilty the punishment by law in South Africa is life imprisonment for an indeterminate length that may last for the remainder of the offender’s life.
It is a mandatory punishment for premeditated murder.
It’s a harsh sentence in anybody’s book, and surely should act as a deterrent. Wrong. It has been proved beyond doubt a dismal failure. There’s no denying our nation has become a killing field.
Has this reality taken root in the community at large? I don’t think, I know murder has become a common occurrence in every sector – homes, offices, schools, pubs, churches and on the streets.
Bullets, knives, hatchets and poison the tools the perpetrators use to commit wanton executions. Bodies are chopped up or burned, placed in car boots – even refrigerated. Boyfriends decapitate their girlfriends. Parents are bludgeoned to death by their offspring.
Gang wars go unabated, too often leaving innocent bodies in their wake. Daily random shootings in public places are a given.
It’s as if murder has been demystified, accepted as just another crime. It’s as if we’ve been mesmerised by an unseen evil magician found in Batman-like comics. Even Minister Cele has succumbed to the spell. No matter what plans he comes up with, the slaughtering continues.
Surely it’s time we open our eyes to the fact the present laws are in no way cutting it. These scumbags sit in the comfort of the court, even smilingly acknowledge their supporters in the benches, knowing full well that unlike their victims they snuffed out, and the terrible suffering of the victims’ families, they’ll live another day, with the likelihood of early parole.
Call this a deterrent? The ongoing killings tell us otherwise. Human rights? What human rights for the affected families? None whatever. They’ll remain in hell forever. Rehabilitation? Let’s see stats showing the percentage of murderers being turned permanently.
To come out of the hypnotic state we need shock treatment. Like a call for a referendum with the fearsome words DEATH PENALTY – YES OR NO?
Opposition political parties should grasp the nettle and run with a campaign to test the water. Either way, the result would prove a shock to the system. A wake-up call what’s needed to find a solution.
