CONGRATULATIONS to the national police commissioner on having the guts to release the national crime statistics.
CONGRATULATIONS to the national police commissioner on having the guts to release the national crime statistics.
Though there are fluctuations in the various categories, what concerns me on a local government level is the huge increase in public violence.
In 2007 there were 174 reported cases of public violence. Last year that figure went up to 456 - more than double.
This is most likely as a result of the growing protests in communities that are gatvol with broken promises.
Like many I believe in the value of public protest and petitions. But that does not mean I endorse or condone damage to property and even killing your neighbours, like we had in the xenophobic violence of last year.
Protest by all means but don't harm anyone and don't destroy property.
One would think that after using protests to cause a change of government in 1994 the ANC would be tuned in to peoples' power. But it is becoming more and more obvious that the only time anything happens is when the ANC wants the vote - and then they go back to breaking their promises.
Ann Barnes, DA Johannesburg
Protest in a peaceful way
CONGRATULATIONS to the national police commissioner on having the guts to release the national crime statistics.
CONGRATULATIONS to the national police commissioner on having the guts to release the national crime statistics.
Though there are fluctuations in the various categories, what concerns me on a local government level is the huge increase in public violence.
In 2007 there were 174 reported cases of public violence. Last year that figure went up to 456 - more than double.
This is most likely as a result of the growing protests in communities that are gatvol with broken promises.
Like many I believe in the value of public protest and petitions. But that does not mean I endorse or condone damage to property and even killing your neighbours, like we had in the xenophobic violence of last year.
Protest by all means but don't harm anyone and don't destroy property.
One would think that after using protests to cause a change of government in 1994 the ANC would be tuned in to peoples' power. But it is becoming more and more obvious that the only time anything happens is when the ANC wants the vote - and then they go back to breaking their promises.
Ann Barnes, DA Johannesburg