South Africa – Features

MRN News Service – A division of Media Review Network

MRN exclusive

Crime levels in South Africa are “tantamount to a national crisis.”

* By Tahir Sema

Siphiwe Nzimande, CEO of business against crime, speaking at the convention, “Action for a safe South Africa”, says our country is currently experiencing high levels of violence and brutality, which is among the highest in the world. More than 50 people are murdered everyday and more than100 woman raped daily.

Nzimande notes that the causes of the high levels of brutality are complex, but among the chief causes are; the decay of moral values in our society and a general decline in respect for the law. Offenders believe they will not be caught or prosecuted.

When analyzing statistics another possible cause comes to light. Nzimande says; “80% of reported crime do not reach the courts mostly due to corruption”.

Incarceration does not seem to act as a deterrent for criminals anymore. Many believe it simply isn’t effective. Crime syndicates when incarcerated still operate business as usual even though they are behind bars.

Nzimande believes that “South Africa is now well poised to improve the situation. Our efforts in support of Government will make a difference”.

Jody Kollapen chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission believes “violence has become our indigenous language”. We are living isolated lives behind our high walls and barbered wires. With higher crime rates Government is spending more each year, yet we still feel unsafe. “The more we spend on security the more unsafe we feel”. Kollapen believes that the most important spending on behalf of Government would be that of prevention, notably ridding dysfunctional behavior from society.

Wendy Luhabe business leader and entrepreneur mention that “action begins with each one of us taking a stand on all evils in society.” The idea that “what’s going on is not my problem” is an illusion. Ultimately it is the responsibility of each one of us to act. Luhabe is of the opinion that each one of us is responsible to act. Crime and violence has severely dented the image of South Africa both locally and abroad. “Crime is shaking the very foundation of our new democracy.” South Africans need to adopt a new language of passion and tolerance.

Read More »Mrn exclusive crime levels in south Africa are tantamount to a national crisis

By Uri Avnery

(source: Uri Avnery’s ZSpace Page)

From time to time I ask myself: what would happen if the world’s governments decided to abolish all their spy agencies simultaneously?

True, it would be a great blow to the authors and movie producers who make their living from secret service stories. Their products would lose their appeal.

It would be a disaster for the huge army of fans which gobbles up spy adventures, the enthusiastic consumers of books and movies about superhuman heroes like James Bond and super-devious geniuses like John La Carre’s Smiley.

But what would be the real damage if Washington stopped spying on Moscow and Moscow stopped spying on Washington, and both on Beijing? The result would be a draw. Immense sums of money would be saved, since a large part of the efforts of every spy agency is devoted to obstructing the intrigues of the competition. How many diseases could be overcome? How many hungry people fed, how many illiterates taught to read and write?

Read More »Dubious in dubai

When the children of Petah Tikva have all found schools to attend, society will not stop being racist

By Gideon Levy

(source:  Businesswire.com)

All of a sudden, we can say "racism." A shock wave has struck complacent Israeli society. A few dozen Ethiopian children were not accepted to religious schools in Petah Tikva. That is truly terrible, everyone tsked-tsked at the heart-rending picture of Aschalo Sama, a boy without a school. Even President Shimon Peres expressed shock. Everyone is permitted to be shocked; it is politically correct.

Oh, how beautiful we are, how enlightened we seem to ourselves. Look how we fight racism, undaunted and uncompromising. And yet, in a twinkling, this shame will be forgotten, and we will be left with the many other manifestations of society’s racism, to which we remain sleepily indifferent.

Read More »Ethiopian students affair shows prevalent racism in Isarael

To talk or not to talk, that’s the question

Posted on:  2009-01-06 08:29:42

  While pro-Palestinians have been urging the South African government to cut all diplomatic ties and trade links with Israel in response to the war on Gaza, some social commentators say this would not help the situation since it closes the door to dialogue. It has become the centre of a continuing local debate on the issue with other commentators vehemently objecting to continuing ties between the two countries.

Speaking to VOC last week, founder of the Gift of the Givers (Waqful Waqifin) humanitarian organization, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said while it was understandable why Muslims became emotional about the Palestinian crisis, it appeared to be a concern that did not extend to non-Muslims. When other communities are affected, he said, Muslims tended to take an ostrich approach by burying their heads in the sand.

Read More »To talk or not to talk thats the question