Get rid of human vermin, don’t ‘protect’ them

THE WEEKEND Argus editorial (“SA must find its ‘India moment’”, February 9), calling for an end to the daily cycle of horror, was impassioned and inspiring. It carried a powerful exhortation: “Anene’s slaying may be our India moment – when a nation stops to take a collective breath and then declares: No More.”

But not only rape is out of control in our country. More especially (as in the case of Anene Booysen, who was raped, brutally disembowelled and left for dead – and did die), it is the daily occurrence of depraved and cold-blooded murders that calls for another look at how we punish these abominations.

Imagine if that were to happen to a member of your family? Where is the justice? Where is the protection of society? Where is our civic sense? Where is government responsibility?

What makes crimes like these deserving of rehabilitation? The dead victim has no chance of rehabilitation.

The murdered victim has no chance of anything. That chance was taken away by killers for whom, in return for terrifying brutality, and as a fitting and justifiable punishment for taking someone’s life, we give food, shelter, clothing and preserve their lives.

In our so-called civilised society, if someone rapes, tortures, mutilates and kills even a child, we “protect” the perpetrator by putting him in vastly overcrowded, untenable jails until he can be released back into society.

Recent crimes of the most horrific savagery have been perpetrated by people who were out on bail – or released from jail – as was the case after President Jacob Zuma declared amnesty for prisoners.

Aren’t we supposed to be a democ-

I don’t care what advice Jacob Zuma gives me or South Africa. Zuma has no credibility, and I would rather take the advice of the wind. racy and shouldn’t our voices be heard? Let the punishment fit the crime. Society needs to get rid of and be protected from human vermin – not protect them.

Why not a nationwide referendum on the reinstatement of the death penalty? Is it not time for a nationwide petition requesting that the constitution should be changed to allow for the death penalty when horrendous circumstances warrant it?