So here we go. In the 1990s we had Kitsburghers (instant citizens) who could vote in the referendum, followed by Kitskonstabels (hastily half-trained policemen to help in the fight against crime). Now we have Kitsgeregtigheid, or instant justice, to ease the way during Fifa’s subjugation of our fair land. Steal a cellphone on Monday morning, attend the court case in the afternoon, and start your five-year sentence on Tuesday. Rob a foreign journalist at midnight, and you’ll be behind bars before noon and in your very own long-term cell within 48 hours. Wear an orange mini in the evening, and have your passport confiscated virtually on the spot. Then pay R10 000 bail, if you have it, to get out for the night.
A 88-year-old friend of mine was attacked in his house by a gang of thugs about a year ago. They clubbed him to the floor, jumped on his chest and kicked him soundly before departing with his cellphone and house keys. He phoned his daughter who called me and I went around to the house with her. She took the old man to hospital and I stayed in the house, which could not be locked because the keys were gone. The cops were called early on in this affair, and a car eventually arrived from Pinetown police station. I walked to the gate to meet the two rather rotund officers and they asked where the victim was. “Oh,” said they, writing a cell number on a piece of scrap paper when I told them. “Give us a ring when he gets home.” Then they left.
That made me wonder. How did they know that I wasn’t the assailant, and the old man wasn’t lying dead inside the house? Why couldn’t they be at least slightly interested in who I was and what I was doing there, and why didn’t they take a look around inside the house? Was it because I was white? The cops were both black, but the thought did cross my mind that they might have made an assumption based on race. Anyway, we never saw them again, and about 10 days later the old man’s daughter took him to the police station to lay a charge. No arrests have been made, and why am I not surprised?
Fast-forward to the World Cup and suddenly our cops are all efficiency — as long as foreigners are involved, anyway. One thing I have to wonder about, though, and perhaps Traps can comment on this: are the alleged bag snatchers and armed robbers and petty thieves getting a fair deal, what with all these special courts and the new-found enthusiasm for law enforcement and the swift punishment of offenders? How does a person facing perhaps 20 years inside prepare a defence on the same day that he’s arrested, and can what follows really be called a fair trial? If they can’t afford a lawyer they should be offered legal aid, and any half decent attorney would surely ask for the case to be remanded while he or she confers with the accused and prepares a proper defence?
I don’t believe South African taxpayers get a fair deal in terms of protection from criminals at the best of times, and the fact that most of our law-enforcement resources are now tied up either fighting with recalcitrant security guards at stadiums or taking over their duties of protecting the Fifa circus bodes ill for our safety in the suburbs for the next few weeks. I suppose I should feel grateful that as long as Fifa calls the shots the ungodly will continue getting the short end of the stick, but somehow, I don’t …
in hindsight, we should have made a big noise about the 88-year old being a British citizen and a WWII RAF veteran. maybe his case would have been handled with a little more enthusiasm …
I am sure that this judicial process has been well researched and thought through. After all the Judiciary had 6 years to prepare; the average duration of a seemingly simple trial from beginning to conclusion.
What is more surprising is the speed to catch the culprits who steal “an expensive camera” or cellphone from an international reporter.
I have had many things stolen over the last 15 years. Met some nice duty oriented policemen/women who advised me not to keep my hopes up too high. “We have a backlog”! Never got anything back or saw the thief in court or behind bars.
We might have to build holding cells and prisons faster then houses to keep up with the “harvest” if the police stays as organised as they seemingly are today.
FIFA have demonstrated that it is actually possible to get things done in South Africa. This is inspirational in a moribund nation. Surely they should be applauded for that rather than criticsed?
Perhaps they should be invited to run the entire country.
Ja. But what happens when all the appeals are upheld because they weren’t given a fair trial? Got bad legal advice from useless lawyers? No sane person would agree to stand trial facing the very real possibility of being jailed, without taking time to prepare a vigorous defence.
justice delayed is justice denied right?
what about “justice” fast tracked?
The Nigerian guy who swiflty got put away for 3 years for having 30 tickets in his car (correct me if I got this wrong) – this seems very harsh sentencing to me.
SouthEaster has a point. Now people will always be able to say “but you could pull off security and justice during the World Cup”.
Is there less crime happening now that the national psyche is so improved? If so, can we not look at ways to keep up this high?
I am LOVING this improvement in the mental health of SA during this WC. It will be such a waste to return to the mood of the time around Easter weekend when Malema and Terre’Blanche were on centre stage.
may the world cup never end as what comes after it we wonder …
There has been other instances where the justice system has been kits, as it were. Take the issue of the South African Human Rights Commission and the toilets in Cape Town. It took hardly two weeks.
My case of unfair dismissal by the NIA was lodged with them in 2007, and I have not heard any official response yet. In the meantime the Commission has been able to deal “kits” with both the Vavi and the Malema “kill for JZ” utterances.
The press should just pay a visit to the SAHRC offices to find how long ordinary people’s cases drag there without resolution. Unfortunately, we have what seems to be an embedded press. Or is it a politically indoctrinated media?
The way I see it..Its about time the pendulum swung the other way. After reading the “88yr old case”.I feel no pain now..get off your sanctimoneous righteous high horse: Guilty..Shoot the bastards…Appeal denied…Case Closed….problem solved. Next please…
..its not going to happen…but, I bet you, its a thought that goes through a lot of our fed-up minds.
I wondered about the extra court back log for SA citizens created due the use of special courts.
Perusal of the backlog shows that if the government had to inprison every criminal we would need and additional seven prosons.
@Gavin — True, the appeals will probably be upheld. But by then the World Cup ™ will be over.
It is also interesting to note that swift justice is not new to the new South Africa. In the recent past there have been many reported cases of a crime being committed, the criminal arrested and then out on bail, all within 48 hours.
Hear! Hear!
And what is worse some policemen now, on duty around stadia, think they are above questioning
I agree with all that you have said as I too have had experience with Cops that are useless, or worse involved in theft or thuggery in my area.
There is no way that anyone, innocent or otherwise can prepare a defence, or be adequately defended in such a short period of time.
Wait for it, we may well find that all these so called ‘criminals’ will be back on the streets shortly after FIFA and the tourists have left our “safe’ and ‘lawless’ country!!
The main question here, really is “Why cannot we South Africans have swift justice? It take years and if it involves ANC people they have infinite access to funds (the people’s funds) and nothing well ever happen. ZJ is a good example. If they are found guilty, there will be one appeal after the next until we all die of old age.
Perhaps those who have been so suddenly locked up are getting paid for a 4 to 6 week stay in the slammer and then they will get a “Presidential Pardon”? It would not surprise me at all.
Fick Fufa.
It was this article was prompted my asking: ” Did South Africa “sell its soul” to Fifa?” (http://www.akanyangafrica.co.za/?p=828) and if “Fifa should run SA, maybe” (http://www.akanyangafrica.co.za/?p=840).
This brings us to the drawn out justice received by that ANC big wig Jacky Selebi…. some pigs are more equal than others????
Just another expense we, the taxpayer, have to fork out for, for no value in return. And this all to make the “New Firm” look good in the eyes of overseas investors. Some of us are even getting insult on top of injury in the form of burglaries in areas that “donated” their cops to the safe zones. The real question, for me, is what has become of our Constitutional Court and Constitutional Experts in this whole worrisome loss of rights affair. They are almost as quiet as the SAHRC when human rights really are transgressed. Is the Constitution still the highest law in the country or was that before President Zuma changed that? I really do not mind how long justice takes, just that it does happen.
@Al – I wish I could be that optimistic about this but the truth is, this is just the start of the vigilante justice we are soon to see a lot more of if we don’t stop the slide into dictatorship now. If you wish to live a wonderful life in Zim all you need to do is become a veteran and join the 10km radius safe zone around Bob. The rest of the population does not matter to anyone anymore.
What I find curious are the so-called Security Guards that used to infest stadia. Most looked and acted like they should not be given any sort of authority over their fellow citizens.
They looked like an untrained rabble. Were they screened ? Have they been cleared by the SAP and NIA ? What training have they actually received in dealing with the public ? How many can speak any foreign language, even including English ?
Having been subjected to the tender mercies of part-time security guards collected in bakkies like day labourers from the nearest robot and given a bib, I feel a lot more comfortable that the SAP are doing what they should be doing in the first place.