A beautiful young student, Sinethemba Ndlovu, is stabbed to death in Msinga. This sad event serves as a reminder that we live in a mortally sick society.

We are a nation of sadists, who refuse to accept the sanctity of human life.

Our country has become a killing zone, as we ruthlessly exterminate our vulnerable women. This moronic behaviour continues unabated and unchallenged.

We are living in a war zone, where predators strike and kill without mercy. Mzansi is the most violent country on the African continent, surpassing the conflict areas where wars are raging.

Living in the shadow of death is not what our country's ancestors fought for.

This culture of violence brings with it a morbid class of individuals who believe that they are entitled to determine the value of other human lives.

We live in a culture that does not recognise the intrinsic distinction of individual worth.

Our violent society's disregard for the value of human life has wrought unspeakable tragedy. We are grimly reminded that the absence of a sanctity ethic results in the destruction of human life.

Violent crimes and murder are part of the cruellest, most inhuman and disparaging crimes that exist. Forbearance and patience has reached saturation point, as innocent lives are lost in a never-ending pattern of extreme violence.

Unless the government takes a harsh stand, we will certainly devolve into a lawless society where law-abiding citizens are forced to live under siege.

Each civilised state governed by law should impose the severest judgment on such heinous crimes.

There are certain circumstances in which life imprisonment is, in fact, essential to show our respect for life.

Farouk Araie, Actonville, Benoni