While communities are busy attacking innocent and vulnerable people, foreign criminals and their South African counterparts may be working together, united in their evil deeds. Criminals do not care about nationality when they join hands to rob, rape, murder and terrorise communities. Why, then, should ordinary people be divided by nationality while criminals continue to destroy lives?

South African authorities must jail criminals, regardless of whether they are South African citizens or foreign nationals. The police must do their jobs honestly and professionally. They must not take bribes or allow criminals to escape justice because of corruption.

Those convicted of serious violent crimes, including robbery, rape and murder, must face severe and appropriate punishment in accordance with the law. Bail decisions must be taken seriously, with public safety, the circumstances of each case and the rights of victims taken into consideration. The justice system must ensure that dangerous offenders are held accountable and that communities are protected.

All criminals undermine peace, unity, Ubuntu and good brotherhood between South African citizens and foreign communities. Crime creates fear, destroys families and damages the trust that communities need to live and work together.

Both South African citizens and foreign nationals must reject mob justice and report crime to the authorities. No one should take the law into their own hands. People must not protect criminals simply because they share the same nationality, language or community. Criminals must be reported, investigated and prosecuted through lawful procedures.

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Mob justice is wrong. It turns ordinary people into perpetrators of violence and can claim the lives of innocent people through mistaken identity, rumours, prejudice and hatred. Once a mob decides to punish someone without evidence or a fair hearing, an innocent person can be beaten or killed before the truth is known.

We must not allow anger against crime to become hatred against an entire nationality. A foreign national who commits a crime must answer for that crime, just as a South African citizen must answer for theirs. Equally, an innocent foreign national must not be punished for the actions of another person.

The medicine for crime is effective policing, fair trials, accountability and appropriate punishment. Serious offenders must face consequences that reflect the gravity of their crimes. The certainty of being caught and prosecuted, combined with proportionate punishment, can help discourage potential offenders. Corruption and impunity, on the other hand, weaken the justice system and encourage criminals to believe they can get away with wrongdoing.

At the same time, we must address the poverty, unemployment and hardship affecting many communities. Vulnerable people must be allowed to work peacefully and honestly, even when the jobs available to them pay very little. People who are trying to survive through lawful work should not be harassed simply because they are poor or come from another country.

The South African government must invest millions of rand in township economies, creating opportunities for employment, small businesses and community development. Investment in struggling communities can help reduce poverty, suffering and hardship while giving more people a chance to build dignified lives.

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Employers should prioritise South African citizens in accordance with applicable labour laws and employment policies. At the same time, refugees and asylum seekers must be treated humanely and protected from violence, exploitation and unlawful discrimination. Protecting refugees does not mean protecting criminals; it means respecting the dignity and rights of innocent people.

South Africa needs unity, not scapegoating. It needs honest police officers, accountable public officials, responsible communities and a justice system that treats criminal conduct seriously, regardless of nationality.

Let us unite against crime rather than against one another. Let us protect innocent people, report criminals and reject corruption and mob violence. South Africans and foreign nationals must stand together for peace, justice and Ubuntu.

Jail criminals, not innocent people. Fight crime, not nationalities.

Collen Makumbirofa
Journalist / Editor / Human Rights Advocate
Voice of the Downtrodden
Website: www.makumbirofafarms.co.za
Email: [email protected]