Psychiatric spray to calm Cape violence

CHILD killing on the Cape Flats continues, and let’s face it, no one knows how to stop it. Policing, marching, placards, and calling the culprits all sorts of names has not worked. Casting blame is futile but eradicating the present “condition” will stop it.

Let me have a shot at it. In affluent areas we talk “with pride” about our mental disorders, chemical imbalances, global warming, the effects of visible and invisible abuse and our medical aids are our tickets to take time out to get away from it.

Yes, we take a break in a five-star rehab. We live on meds in an attempt to keep us stable, and to a certain extent it does.

On the other side, the greater part of the Cape Flats, all the very same problems exist – only multiplied, but without any care.

Nothing is done to curb over-the-top behaviour. We drink, smoke dagga and buttons or tik it away which only increases the state of chaos, which ends making the front pages of our newspapers. Another child killed. Even the culprit is as shocked as his parents and the community and then we march again.

Life returns to normal until the next news broadcast. Normality meaning dodging stray bullets while scavenging on the roads like a “pavement special” looking to rob someone to finance the next fix or, should I say, self-medication.

Is there no psychiatric medicine spray with a “calming effect” which can be released over Cape Town? Something like a natural herbal anti-depressant that is released twice weekly from a plane, drone or perhaps, a converted tear gas canister?

A spray-can may be a handy method of distribution as well, or even via air conditioning units at shopping centres.

The people of the Cape Flats have been mentally scarred and hence the inexplicable acts of extreme violence.

We need forced medical intervention or, to be politically correct, radical medical intervention.