Andile Qolo, Nyanga
Society is under terror not because of the external enemies but because of infighting that does not yield any results but fear.
Back in the day people feared walking during the night because people were afraid of the “spirit of the dark” not because they were afraid to be attacked by other humans.
But now we are more dangerous than wild animals.
The difference, however, is that in the animal kingdom, animals kill for survival, but we kill for no reason. In our days people are not safe during the day or even as a group.
The current stats about crime are a true reflection of the society. Harare, Khayelitsha: one SAPS officer for every 745 citizens – almost four times less than the ideal ratio of one SAPS for every 220 citizens.
However, what we fail to explain is that the cause of high crime rate is not about number of police but about the number of people who have – or don’t have – economic means.
People commit crime to have money on their hands.
In areas were people work and have businesses, crime is low.
So the challenge is not in the security cluster but the economic cluster.
If we fix that, we can see positive results not just in the economy but in crime and many other social ills of the society.
However, I still believe that the answer lies with us to stand up and defend our society. Our future is brighter but we must safeguard it with everything we have.