Crime affects all races

Crime affects all South Africans and provides an opportunity to all of us to stand together in fighting crime. Unfortunately, some sections of society, including politicians, are playing a divisive role by politicising crime and giving it a race. Crime has no colour, but poverty and poor living conditions are conducive to criminality.

Actions aimed at portraying crime against selective sections of society as more important than others are counterproductive and divisive. The pain of victims cannot be classified according to race, occupation or status.

If we had previously seen the kind of actions seen on Black Monday against crime affecting all segments of society, it would have been more credible and would have united our people against crime. Although the protests had some merit, the selective nature thereof, accompanied by the waving of the old South African flag, had the opposite effect and played into the hands of radicals such as the EFF.

As long as we keep thinking and acting in exclusive terms and defining crime in terms of race instead of addressing the root causes, such as poverty, inequality and ineffective policing, we are playing into the hands of radicals and squandering opportunities for all of us to unite against crime.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was presidential in his condemnation of farm murders and also the waving of old flags.

Dawie Jacobs

Sterrewag