Will taxi guards mow commuters down?

I recently holidayed in your lovely, quiet little holiday town, a town I notice is attempting, judging from much development, to move onto another level but is not there yet!
I was surprised to see men in civilian clothing standing at certain points, armed with automatic weapons. Is this what goes on in South Africa or just Ballito? As an older military man I find this such a ridiculous spectacle. A spectacle is the only way one can describe such an intimidating situation. What do your average tourists think! If an individual is walking, patrolling, guarding or whatever is needed, it should be done in a non-intimidating way.
He should also be dressed in a uniform representative of an official organisation i.e. police, army, navy. I am told this heavily armed presence is to deter taxi commuters from hitching a lift rather than hail a taxi. What are they going to do? Mow the hitchhiker down with a hail of automatic bullets?
What I ask – with tears in my eyes – please catch a wake up and leave crime prevention to the correct authorities. If not, before long any man in the street with a licence for a  weapon will be walking around displaying it, just in case one of the idiots with an automatic weapon decides to take a pot shot.
JAN HOEDENVELD
Springs

One innocent pedestrian (Sam Haisa) was shot dead earlier this year in the crossfire between warring taxi groups – Editor.