SA at risk of becoming a lawless jungle

The broadcast of a video of two gun-toting bodyguards of a KwaZulu-Natal ANC leader – one brandishing an AK-47 assault rifle, making threats about killing a “dog” – is yet another example of how lawless this country has become.

The video, which went viral on social media, shows two bodyguards of the eThekwini ANC regional secretary waving firearms and making threatening comments. The men have since been removed from their posts and the ANC has condemned their actions.

That the pair were making threatening comments against someone’s life in a province with a blood-soaked history of political murders is alarming enough. Making matters worse is the fact that they had a weapon of war – an AK-47 assault rifle, the possession of which is illegal for a private individual in this country.

A police spokesman said on SAFM on Friday that the bodyguards’ firearms had been removed from them by the police for ballistics testing. It is worth noting that the guards were linked to a powerful ruling party official.

To avoid possible perception of bias, a senior police official, preferably from outside the province, should be assigned to handle the probe and report to the national commissioner.

It is also worth noting that the video comes to light at a time when KZN has seen a resurgence of political murders involving ANC councillors and officials apparently fighting over positions and lucrative contracts in local municipal councils.

An apparent victim of the intra-party blood-letting is Sindiso Magaqa – a former ANC youth league secretary general, who was shot by unknown gunmen in July and died of his wounds last week.

Magaqa was the latest statistic in a long list of local ANC officials to die a violent death in KZN.

Citizens, also, are at the mercy of criminals who go about their business with apparent impunity. While citizens live under siege, the ruling party is preoccupied with its presidential succession race and living off the taxpayer.

Unless the government, whose primary duty is to provide security for the people, fulfils its mandate, this country faces the real prospect of degenerating into a lawless jungle.