The Premier David Mabuza
Deputy Police Minister Ms M Sotyu
Executive Mayor Councillor Mathonsi
MEC Shongwe and other MECs present today
The National Commissioner General Phiyega
Esteemed guests
Ladies and gentleman
Today we are launching the campaign against the buying of stolen goods. This is one of the ways that we are trying to create a decent society – as our forebears so observed when penning the Freedom Charter.
We carried the goal of attaining a decent society in the expression that we used in drafting the Constitution which is the supreme law of our republic. But today should be more than just the launch of the campaign. It should be a continuation of the language of decency in these founding documents. It should be about discarding old language and embracing the new gentle language.
Today should be about rejecting the language that seeks to justify doing wrong because things that might “have fallen from a truck”, “idulasi” and other words. Today we need to embrace a language that says: Not in my name. Shops and traucks will not be broken into so that I have the thrill of cheap products.
Betrand Russel says “language can be used to influence the behaviour of others”. It was not unheard of in the period prior to 1994 to talk about redistributing in relation to stolen goods. But language has to evolve and us with it. Language plays the role as a social construct as well as a public expression of thoughts, continues Russel. Language, he continues, serves not only to express thoughts, but to make possible thoughts which could not exist without it.
Therefore that means that we need to change the social construct by chaning the language and call that which is theft by the correct word. Buying stolen goods is contiinuation of theft.
When we use a language that is adopted by children who then get socialised that certain things are fine and acceptable, we continue to reinforce the notion that getting things for mahala, irrespective of how they were sourced, is fine. It is the same when we tell our children that we as parents will get a pen or ruler at work. The stationery for work purposes should remain that and we cannot use the language of expropriation and expect our children to learn something completely different.
We should always be mindful that those who sell us stolen goods may very well come back to steal those goods from us. The presence of a market for stolen goods serves as an encourager for the commission of crimes. Why do we buy stolen property, when such motivates armed robbery, murder, and rape and general insecurity? Why do we assist a criminal to sustain his criminality? And still! Call ourselves good people!
It is critical therefore, that part of our national effort should be directed at the elimination of this market. Accordingly, other aspects of the campaign we are launching today will consist of programmes aimed at assisting the youth, the unemployed in particular, to engage in productive work like home vegetable gardening, skills on running small businesses, forming cooperatives and other subsistence level activities.
Apart from addressing the safety as well as the socio-economic imperatives, this effort also speaks to our humaneness, and our sense of solidarity with our fellow beings.
We must work together to redirect youth energy to socially beneficial activity. In this regard, all government departments and institutions must be engaged to lend a hand. Social partners will have to play a critical role to ensure community acceptance and participation in this initiative.
What’s to be done?
Our society must ensure that there is serious and vibrant discussion on the issue of eliminating the market for stolen goods. In our community meetings, branch meetings, church gatherings, we must talk about this. We must read about it in the newspapers. It must find expression in our performing arts and entertainment. In schools, community gatherings as we will experience during the festive season and in our political campaign, we must raise our voices.
We must highlight the gruesome acts that are committed in the process of plundering stolen goods: murder, rape, serious injury, psychological scars, and trauma: And indeed all of this, represents a denial of freedom to our people.
All of us must encourage everyone around us to take an active moral stand against stolen goods. More must be done to bring about sharper public awareness of the Second Hand Goods Act. In this regard, the Ministry of Police will develop easy-to-read and user-friendly booklets in the Second Hand Goods Act.
Social partners should be part of an effort to develop and disseminate messages discouraging support to criminal activity, in particular, stolen goods. In union meetings, staff meetings and other work related events; we need to say enough is enough.
We must join hands in training our youth to engage in productive subsistence work. In pursuance of this effort, the Ministry will immediately work on the development of a booklet on subsistence economic initiatives.
Impact
We believe that this effort will help the country to tap onto its collective wisdom to enhance crime prevention programmes, seek cooperative, innovative and creative solutions to crime and safety challenges. It will take away the market for stolen goods, thus de-motivating criminals from committing property crimes, including trio crimes.
A diminishing market for stolen goods should lead to less actual incidents in related crimes, and in the long run, the diminishing incidence of crime should lead to improved perceptions and people feeling safer.
Public awareness of the Second Hand Goods Acts will help people better to appreciate the legal implications of dealing in second hand goods, as well as the associated risks.
Training the youth to engage in subsistence work will:
- Help improve the process of skills transfer;
- Enhance the sense of self-worth;
- Reduce abject poverty;
- Cultivate a positive work ethic;
- Improve social cohesion
The campaign will strengthen societal moral aversion for crime; whilst the focus on skills development will assist communities develop into viable economic units. Subsistence developmental interventions will reduce pressure on household incomes, and contribute to the emergence of a healthier nation.
Call to Action
All South Africans share the aspiration of a safe and secure country. Through the campaign, this shared aspiration will find organized expression, unity of purpose and unity in action.
To contribute to the effort to give practical expression to our common desire to rid our country of crime, we extend an invitation to all our people, our social partners; labour, business, academic institutions, faith-based organisations, institutions of traditional leadership, political parties, community organisations, all spheres and organs of governance, every woman and man, young and old, to join in the campaign, “Against Stolen Goods.”
Our shared determination to realise peace, security and comfort is a reflection of the resolve of South Africans, as individuals and as a nation, to live as equals, to live in peace and harmony, be free from fear and want and, to seek a better life. Crime, in its different forms, violates the rights, dignity and worth of the human person, and must be defeated.
We need a new language and that language must and should reject all that is wrong and unethical. It starts today with you and with me.
Thank you
