Zuma is the cause of all this crime

THE death of 9-year-old Sadia Sukhraj and the criminality taking place in KwaZuluNatal, especially in Durban, should be laid squarely at the foot of former president Jacob Zuma.

In order to protect himself from his corrupt ways and the criminal network that surrounded him, Zuma engineered the weakening, undermining and destruction of institutions such as Parliament, the police, the intelligence services and the National Prosecuting Authority, allowing criminals to wreak havoc.

Criminals have shown many times they have no fear of the police or the public.

Our security establishment spent the past decade trying its best not to see the crime being committed against the state and its people.

The Zuma regime shredded the police and Justice Department of some of their finest brains. Many top investigators and those who were right for promotions were prodded to take early retirement or were booted out and replaced by a bunch of incompetents.

During Zuma’s tenure, the cumulative effects of shoddy investigations and a lackadaisical attitude in the police, as well as corruption, brought this country to the verge of anarchy.

To exacerbate this situa- tion, the wheels of justice wobble along and take an inordinately long time to begin trials and mete out justice.

Every attempt is made to find extenuating circumstances to blunt the edge of swift and retributive justice.

We are not going to deter criminals if we subject them to kid gloves’ treatment. If punishment has to be harsh, so be it. It must also be noted that criminals who hijack vehicles are only the foot soldiers; the real villains are the crime syndicates.

Since our intelligence services are dysfunctional, the crime syndicates are operating with impunity, knowing that the chances of being caught are small.

Police Minister Bheki Cele and police commissioner Khehla Sitole have the tough and unenviable task of bringing the state security agencies back to normality.

But we are confident they will rise to the occasion.

In the meantime, the police and National Prosecuting Authority should do their job without fear or favour, and target their investigations not just at those who pull the trigger, but also the kingpins.

Unless this is done, crime syndicates will turn our country into killing fields. JAYRAJ BACHU

Clare Estate