Murderers should get death penalty

One of the reasons that led to the government's decision to abolish the death penalty was that history has proved the world over that some people have been executed for crimes they did not commit.

So, our constitution abolished the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment.

Since then, we have seen gruesome murders. Uyinene Mrwetyana went to the post office to be killed for no reason; Karabo Mokoena was killed and her body burnt beyond recognition by her boyfriend; and Reeva Steenkamp visited her boyfriend on Valentine's Day only to be murdered by him.

Leigh Matthews, a university student, was abducted, robbed and killed in broad daylight by Donovan Moodley – who is seeking parole; Palesa Madiba, a university student, visited a friend in Soweto and disappeared for years only to be found buried in a shallow grave; newly married bride Anni Dewani was brought to SA by her husband, supposedly on their honeymoon, to have her killed because he knew SA was the safest place where he could commit the gruesome crime and get away with it, and the hired murderer has just been released on parole.

Eight-month pregnant Tshegofatso Pule was not only murdered, but her pregnant body was disgracefully left hanging from a tree. And it turns out that the mastermind behind the murder was her boyfriend.

Nosicelo Tebeni, a Fort Hare University student, was murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend who stuffed some of her body parts in his freezer. A week ago, Hillary Gardee went to the shops with a three-year-old child who witnessed her abduction, and was found dead in the bushes with stab wounds and a bullet wound to the head and other signs which showed that she was cruelly tortured before being killed.

In all these cases, there was no possibility that the killers could have been mistakenly accused.

Under these circumstances, the return of the death penalty, in clear cases of planned murders, is warranted. Those who argue that the death penalty cannot be a deterrent must go and spend some time in Botswana or Saudi Arabia where there is no tolerance of such crimes.

Alternatively, life with no prospect of parole must be legally enforced.

Cometh Dube-Makholwa, Midrand