This is in response to Ananias Thobejane's letter about President Mbeki's "ignorance or stupidity".

This is in response to Ananias Thobejane's letter about President Mbeki's "ignorance or stupidity".

It takes a listening and reasoning human being to understand some of Mbeki's statements.

The context of the debate in which the president said crime is not out of control seems to be overlooked by Mbeki's constant critics. He did not make a noise about the man who broke into his house in Cape Town.

Individual experiences in Hillbrow or elsewhere can't justify the national outcry. Yes, organised crime levels, where even well-known names have surfaced, have increased in recent months, but the police and other state organs are dealing with them.

People should make it their duty to keep themselves safe. This would help the government. The state can't afford to assign a policeman to every citizen.

Themba Khumalo, Johannesburg