Who Protects Our Communities Part II

Because we are so caught up in the politics of the African National Congress and governments, we tend to overlook our roles as communities especially regarding the safety of our areas.

Yesterday I posed a question about what roles do communities play in terms of keeping their areas safe and "disciplined", and how we could exercise this role without having to "break the law" or take the law into our own hands?

The photographs below were taken in Nyanga, Cape Flats in Cape Town by Lulama Zenzile, a prolific photographer who works in that and many other communities of the Cape. They show a young man who is alleged to have stolen a cellphone and was caught by the community and subjected to the People's Justice form of disciplinary measure.

A crime suspect lies on the ground while a community member takes aim with a hammer. Photo: Lulama Zenzile

A community member in Nyanga aims for the head of a suspect with a concrete rock . Photo: Lulama Zenzile

Alleged perpetrator of crime is caught and surrounded by community members in Nyanga: Photo: Lulama Zenzile

A kid is seen running in the streets on the aftermath of "Peoples Justice" activities, in Nyanga, Cape Town.  Photo: Lulama Zenzile

The images shown here are nothing new to the people whom are subjected to the levels and the forms of crime that ordinary South Africans are used to. I was saddened when I saw on the news about two or so days ago, this video. The gentleman in this video might decide to up and leave the country and if the reasons for his departure are related to the incident he was party to, then, how many other (skilled, loyal and patriotic) South Africans are forced to leave their place of birth through such violence?

The populace does not have faith in the system anymore and the police do not command the respect and the trust of the people. This is leads them to take the action you see in these pictures. None among any community enjoys witnessing a brutal killing of a young man in the name of justice. None enjoy the necklacing and burning of young men as a form of justice method.

Moreover, none enjoys it when their home is a playground for thugs and thieves and stealers. Nobody likes it when their homes are ransacked and the authorities are unable to bring the perpetrators to book. So, again, what do the people do? What power do they have over their own homes and communities? I am not saying this kind of justice is right by any means, but I am asking if there isn't a way that would suit both the victims of crime (people who have been stolen from, raped, killed, hi-jacked) and the authorities?

Who must protect the communities, the families, the women, the children, the vulnerable and the old, when police fail? And I am not only talking about making the arrest and taking the statements, I am talking about instantaneous trials, prosecutions and convictions of these people. They are giving the rest of South African men a bad name.

What must the communities do? 

Who Protects Our Communities?

It is normal in the townships that when we are told of a thief or rapist or a troublesome person, we will want to "deal with them".

That is the role of the community, indeed like the government, to protect its own and to ensure and maintain peace in that particular area. But to what extent are our communities "protectors" of the communities?

On the Sunday of March 31, 2013, in Green Point , Khayelitsha in Cape Town, I was rudely awaken by screams and deafening bellows in the wee-wee hours of that morning. Like a responsible and responsive community member that I am, I went outside to investigate the source of such cries. The whole street must have been awakened by this unusual noise for the pavements of the street had already been populated by on-lookers.

I could tell, from the rather vast distance kept between myself and the scene of the action, that someone was being beaten up. That is usual in the townships; seeing someone being beaten up at 05h00 in the morning. It was only after someone had pointed out that there had been a trail of blood from up the street down to where the action had now been taking place that we all took note of how serious the situation was.

As we followed the trail, it was evident that the "victim" had been dragged 200 metres at least. Three young men were the executioners and they were not going easy on the bloodied guy lying on the tarred road. "You will not come here and rob us in our own backyards" they said as they continued to pile brick after concrete and after brick, on the helpless foe. The community - I will call them that for their numbers -  stood against their walls and fences, watching as "Justice" was being served.

The 3 young men in question kicked, stabbed with knives and bottle-tops and bludgeoned the hapless guy with concrete and bricks until he went into an uncontrollable seizure. The community watched. None of the street committee leaders bothered to question the bringers of justice about the crime of this foe. They did not wish to know how the decision was taken to punish the foe as they did. They, too, watched.

The alleged criminal went into another seizure just as the biggest concrete slab was being hurled at his unprotected face and head. He collapsed and lied there as the bringers of justice continued their tireless labour. The police were called finally and when they arrived at the scene, the trio of justice-bringers then casually left the scene upon hearing a police siren. The cops got to the now unrecognizable fellow and are reported to have only declared him "Isikoli" - A Criminal, before they left him to the care of the on-rushing ambulance and its staff.

The man was declared dead by the on-lookers.

This is but a single example of what People's Justice is and many others have been party or victims of this act.This video speaks to this but it is not addressed. The photo below was on the IOL news source and also speaks volumes to the kind of protection communities employ for their safety.

This is a video taken in Mpumalanga and it shows how people are caught and "disciplined" in the townships. But is this type of justice just?

The security agencies must be questioned if the communities feel so much unprotected, so much so that they resort to such violent means of correcting the wrongs? The communities must be educated indeed that they can not take law into their own hands but they must be left with something with which they could defend themselves against such criminal activities.

I wish not to sound like I am saying the government is not doing enough to protect the people but even in the old days, it was the responsibility of the Throne to protect the Realm against any sorts of intruders and harm. We are not seeing this, instead we see more death.

If the "People's Justice" model is not working for the broader community, then I feel the government MUST put in place mechanisms by which to curb the continuation of such executions. Law and Order should be defined in line with the experiences and circumstances of each community, lest we kill all our brothers and sisters in the administering of People's Justice.

What must be done?