South Africans have become blasé about crime and corruption

LOOKING at most criminal cases, there’s only one conclusion: crime does not pay and in most cases the criminals are apprehended.

For President Cyril Ramaphosa to have a special commission to investigate corruption in South Africa and to introduce stricter laws, shows how dire the situation is, but still Minister Bheki Cele has not done anything about crime.

Most South Africans live in fear and don’t feel safe on the streets, in their homes or in their cars.

The problem is that we have become blasé about crime.

It is reported daily in the newspapers and on TV, and each story is soon forgotten, never to be followed up by the cops.

Criminals are not afraid of South Africa’s weak laws.

Drugs are sold freely in every city or town and the police know exactly who the dealers are.

Maybe the time has come to introduce big five criminal offences (including looting from state coffers) for which there are harsher penalties.

Task force teams could be introduced in every town to combat the instigators of crime. In order to make this more achievable, teams could focus on one of the “big five” per month.

I know some people will contest stricter bail laws, but laws are made for law and order and must benefit the majority rather than protect a few merciless criminals.

The budget for Medupi power station was R6billion. Who is accountable for that budget ballooning to R56bn? Why should South Africa go overseas for extra loans?

Investigate this corruption and recover the missing billions from whichever crook’s private bank account the loot is in.

Eskom and all state-owned enterprise’s are public entities. We as taxpayers have a share and interest in them so we would like it to be gazetted like public corporates do.

This must be introduced by Parliament as soon as possible. South African citizens are “sick and tired” of new reports of corruption.

Politicians need to set aside their power play to the masses, attacks on each other and public stunts to score political points. Unrealistic promises always come out at election time, but when one is not in power one can promise anything for votes. These politicians should concentrate rather on the serious issues, such as job creation, corruption and crime. What many citizens are hoping for? A safer and better South Africa.