SOWETAN | We must reclaim SA from killers

The murder of Teboho Joala, a Rand Water executive, and his bodyguard in front of school children in Zakariyya Park, south of Johannesburg, this week, is difficult to fathom.

That killers could walk into a hall where school children and people are gathered and open fire on their target is beyond imagination on how brazen criminals have become.

The terror and crushing anguish that those at the scene of the heinous crime must have felt as people lay dead is too grim to contemplate.

Shamefully, this type of violence of hired killers is becoming so common in our society to the extent that it is becoming normalised. Joala’s killing, which on the face of it appears to have been a hit, is just one of many.

In fact, such is the reality that Rand Water board chairperson Ramateu Monyokolo told Sowetan that they have made plans to protect people in strategic positions at the bulk water provider. Monyokolo said they did not know who could be the next target.

Though he would not say what threats had been made against people at the water utility, he conceded that they conduct security assessments on potential threats.

Evidently, Joala, who was traveling with several bodyguards on the day he was killed, had undergone such assessment which determined a risk to his life. Rand Water is not the only state-owned company where people in senior leadership positions had to be provided with protection to do their work.

As we grapple with the senseless killing of Joala and his bodyguard, we must ask the uncomfortable question – Is SA becoming a mafia state?

When will law enforcement get to grips with this lawlessness and stem the tide?  We must demand from the police minister that he acts decisively and urgently to restore public confidence in the police. We must reclaim our streets from criminals who kill with impunity daily, knowing that nothing will ever happen thereafter.

That we have cases such as the killing of rapper AKA which remain unsolved to date with no arrests should put our law enforcement to shame. It is difficult to be optimistic Joala’s killers will be brought to book, which makes us wonder: Who could be next?