9 November 2007
If the KwaZulu-Natal Men's Forum is to serve its role clearly, it must do
the following:
* help create a new order in which men and women are equal members of
society
* create a new order in which boy and girl children are raised as equal members
of families
* it must help create communities which not only detest violence against women,
children and men, but actively ensure that it does not occur at all in
families, communities and the entire country.
We are launching the Men's Forum here at Umzinto because we want to voice
our displeasure and revulsion at the continued violence against the vulnerable
in our communities.
We are against the killing of women here in the Umzinto area by a person or
persons who we believe are yet to be convicted. We are angry that these women
were killed simply for seeking to live their lives.
At the same time we are here to say that this is by no means an isolated
incident. It reflects a sickness which we must come together across all
sectors, across political parties, religions and ensure that no more people are
killed in this area, and in the rest of KwaZulu-Natal.
The report of the African Peer Review Mechanism on KwaZulu-Natal and South
Africa noted that even though comparatively speaking, we may not have the
highest crime rate in the world, crime here is particularly brutal and violent.
The distinguishing character of our crime is that it is excessively
violent.
It baffles all sane observers here and everywhere in the world that a robber
will come to some one's house, take the television and money and then kill
everyone in the house. Alternatively the robber, against all logic, stabs a
person, he dies, but he continues to stab that person more than 70 times. Why
is our crime so violent?
History of serial killers
In the early 1990s, several women were found strangled in a mine dump in
Cleveland, south of the city. The police arrested one David Selepe in 1994 and
charged him with the murders of 11 of the victims. Selepe was subsequently
killed while "pointing out" the murder scene of one of his alleged victims. At
the inquest, police alleged he had attacked one of the detectives with a stick
before he was shot. An inquest later found no one criminally liable for his
death. At the time of his death, police claimed Selepe had been "positively
linked" to six of the "cleveland strangler" victims.
Again South Africa was in the news again in 1996, when Credric Maake
embarked on his carnage in Gauteng. During his murderous spree, stretching from
1996 to 1997, Maake killed 27 people, including shop owners and couples. Some
of his victims were gunned down and others were hit with blunt objects. We were
pleased when in 2000, Maake was convicted of 27 murders, 26 attempted murders,
14 rapes, 41 aggravated robberies and other minor offences. In total, he was
sentenced to 1 159 years for his crimes.
We also had the case of Moses Sithole who holds the distinction of being
South Africa's most notorious killer and is currently ranked the sixth worst
killer in the world. His tally of 38 murders, 40 rapes and six robberies with
aggravating circumstances makes for chilling reading.
Sithole preyed on female job-seekers whom he lured to secluded spots by
promising them jobs. These are by no means the only serial killers in South
Africa's history. Here are a few others over the years.
* Daisy de Melker, poisoner, killed two husbands and one son; executed in
1932
* Sipho Thwala, also known as the Phoenix Strangler; raped and murdered 16
women in sugarcane fields from 1996 to 1997
* Gert van Rooyen, abducted at least six girls from 1988 to 1989 who were never
found.
A unique feature of Southern serial killers is that they defy the
conventional profile of serial killers who in the rest of the world are
generally profiled as "white, heterosexual males in their twenties and
thirties" who prey on white women and children.
In South Africa it is mainly black and white men who have an underdeveloped
sense of self or generally have a history of abuse during childhood or were
wronged by women. But they nevertheless do not have any right to take other
people's lives as a result of their circumstances and experiences. We condemn
these acts of brutality committed for whatever reason.
More importantly, the law must take its course. But for the law to be
effective, we as a community must take a stand. A stand that says we shall have
no such elements in our society. We shall expose them and have them
arrested.
The only weapon against criminality is the Popular Front against Crime. We
must collectively do everything to ensure there is no murder in our
communities. But first we must ensure there is no criminality. Serious crime
begins with small petty crime. We must therefore not aid theft by buying stolen
goods. We must not hide suspects who murder, steal or rob our people. We say
this because every suspect has a family. Every suspect lives in a community. It
is this family and this community that must work with the police to ensure
these people are apprehended, sentenced and removed from society. Fighting
crime effectively, particularly against women, children and the vulnerable is
something do-able. As we launch the Men's Forum, we are assured that we shall
all join hands in this popular front against crime and that in the end, our
society will prevail against crime.
Masisukume Sakhe.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
9 November 2007
