EDITOR’S NOTE

ONCE again we have been rudely awoken from our slumber by the criminals. In the cocoons of our cars and fenced homes it’s easy to forget that the latest official murder toll (2016/17) is a shocking

19 016.

Aren’t we actually living in a war zone?

On top of the harrowing story of veteran Comrades runner Rennie Govender on the front page, there’s more about our crime crisis on Page 5 and in the Herald supplement.

Our hearts go out to Govender, Sadia Sukhraj’s family and everyone affected by the recent wave of crime.

But the Comrades show goes on this coming Sunday, and runners of different shapes and colours will take part with their many and varied goals in mind, including charity (see Page 8).

Ten years after the xenophobic riots of May 2008, not much has changed, say two writers (Page 11).

Conservationist Cole du Plessis believes visitors to game reserves should set greater store on wild dog sightings to help save the species. He is this week’s Game Changer (see Page

13).

In keeping with the #Metoo movement and the Nelson Mandela celebrations, other game changers are breaking the local film industry’s male dominance (Page 15).

And what would Madiba say about the rampant human rights abuse in countries like Burundi?

The answer is obvious. Our foreign editor

Shannon Ebrahim tackles the harder question of whether we should throw the International Criminal Court baby out with the bathwater or improve it from within (Page 16).

Our Big Issue is again on the burning land question. One of the commentators says he shudders to think what lies ahead for the country (Page 17). We ourselves shudder at reporting on this.