The past week has seen a number of incidents taking place in the area which are of grave concern.
First we read about a shooting on the N3, in which police officers lost their lives. Then there was another shooting in Kempton Park, which also left another police officer wounded.
Tuesday night there was a shooting in Edenvale and as I write this, allegations are filtering through that a Major General has been shot at his home. If this turns out to be false, forgive me, I hope to know more by the end of writing my column.
South Africa seems to go through these spates of vicious crime, like the shooting on a bus which was reported on Wednesday morning in Roodepoort. Apparently it was an armed robbery gone wrong. How, or what would constitute a robbery ‘gone right’ is anybody’s guess.
Of concern for me is that these spikes of vicious, violent crime are getting closer and closer together.
Of even greater concern, for everyone, are the claims that a gang is driving around and deliberately targeting police officers.
Any group, or person, who targets police officers as a deliberate target should be branded as terrorists. For what reason are they targeting police officers, if not to be able to further their own nefarious reasons?
I truly feel sorry for the SAPS, especially those members who are dedicated and hard working. I fear they are fighting a losing battle. I cannot claim any ability to explain why this is taking place, but I fear things may only get worse.
Why would any group deliberately target police officers? I can only think of one reason. Remove law enforcement numbers on the streets to allow your ‘group’ greater freedom to do break the law. How and in what form the breaking of the law would be is anybody’s guess. I could come up with a few ideas, but I don’t wish to either incite panic or appear to be a conspiracy theorist.
What I can say, is killing police officers in a calculated and cold-blooded manner certainly does not bode well for our future.
But what can we do? I understand why the police issue certain statements, such as submit to the criminals, give them what they want. Not everyone is either capable or trained to take on a dangerous person. That said, I cannot help but feel we are almost endorsing crime and criminals with such an attitude. We are making it ‘easy’ for such vermin to continue their acts. They have no fear of any possible consequences.
My personal advice is this. And please note, this is my personal view. Resist. Fight back. Do not be sheep in front of wolves anymore. If you don’t know how to fight back, go for training. Even a few classes can give you the basic knowledge on how to begin fighting back.
To even begin fighting back, start with some basics. Lock your doors, lock your gates. Do not grant criminals an opportunity to strike. When you remove that, it already makes you less of a target. Since most violent crime is perpetrated by men (don’t hate me guys, this is a fact) men and women alike must learn how to quickly incapacitate a man. Always be aware of your surroundings.
One final piece of information.
This is, sadly, my last column. No, it is not my final column because my boss caught me stealing her lunch. Nor is it my last column because I am leaving the newspaper. Owing to new workflow processes, and in a bid to consistently improve content for our readers, I will be moving to another office. While the exact date of my move is yet to be determined, I do believe it is taking place after Easter. From then, I will be based in the far away town of Boksburg. Owing to new, additional duties, I do not believe I will be able to continue my column. Who knows, perhaps in time I shall return to the pages of this wonderful newspaper.
The communities our newspaper serves are wonderfully unique and diverse. Every single interaction with you, my readers, has been valued. Yes, even those who call to criticise. It is thanks to each and every one of you who makes these communities so wonderfully diverse.
Be safe dear readers, and thank you.
