Time for us to wake up

ENOUGH is enough! Since the start of the year, more than 90 perpetrators in the Western Cape have been convicted for crimes including rape, assault, assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, attempted rape, rape and robbery, child neglect, kidnapping, rape and housebreaking, attempted murder and statutory rape.

With the apparent increase in attacks on females within our communities and the spate of how and when these crimes are committed, shock wave upon shock wave have sparked community and social media outrage and international media attention.

Bodies are found mutilated. Bodies are found in shallow graves or are tossed like dirt into ditches. Why have these heinous attacks and callous murders of women in our communities increased at such an alarming rate?

What is it that has sparked such malice towards our women, children and mothers?

Director at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children (SBCWC) Shaheema McLeod said brutality and violence against women and children is rising.

She said: “Children are trusting individuals, and as parents we need to educate (our) young children not to be (too) trusting because often it is those close to the children who commit these heinous crimes.”

It is ironic, too, that Karabo Mokoena, whose passion it was to help abused women, met her demise when she was brutally murdered and then consumed by fire, allegedly by her boyfriend.

In light of these heinous crimes committed on such a regular basis, everyone proclaims that South Africa is such a beautiful country.

I, too, believe that South Africa is a beautiful country, but with corruption and evil predators plaguing the people of our country, it has become unsuitable for its own citizens to feel free in their own space.

It is time for a major wake-up call. If the government truly wants to resurrect their faith and show their solidarity to eachSouth African citizen again, bring back the death penalty.

Wherever we go, we hear people say: “Our children are the leaders of tomorrow.”

If that is so, surely our children need someone to look up to today? RIANNA WENTZEL Grassy Park