Equality in safety: Minister’s robbery and the fight against crime for all

While it is fortunate that Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and her bodyguards were not harmed when they were robbed on Monday while travelling on the N3, the incident raises a few important points.

First, in the minds of many South Africans who have been the victims of violent crime, will be the thought that, perhaps now, our ANC rulers will take seriously the issue of crime, given that one of their own has been caught up in it.

And we mean more than deploying legions of cops on a manhunt.

Then there is the question of the competence of those guarding a government minister. If you can be rolled over by armed robbers in a public place, how good are you at VIP protection?

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We hope the ANC does not seize the opportunity to squander even more money on VIP protectors, whose main claim to fame at present seems to be terrorising and assaulting innocent civilians who won’t get out of the way of their blue light convoys fast enough.

We don’t need more protectors. We need ones who are better at their jobs.

And, more than anything, we need to fight crime to the benefit of all citizens, not just the elite.