Violent criminals are dying like flies at the hands of cops, and South Africans have made it clear they couldn’t give a damn.
I recently stumbled upon an online comments section that makes it clear that we are fed up with crime and are not prepared to extend our respect for the sanctity of life to criminals.
It’s a fine moral line to be walking, but also completely reasonable, considering the post-traumatic stress disorder we are all being forced to endure.
Not a day passes without several news stories of brazen crimes being committed in our immediate neighbourhoods, often against innocent and vulnerable mense.
But while it appears that police are fighting a losing battle, there are instances of cops dealing decisive blows against perpetrators.
In these moments, we sometimes hear of dozens of armed suspects having been shot dead.
In the most harrowing examples, a total of 18 suspects were shot dead during a gunfight with police in Limpopo a few weeks ago.
Last year, a lengthy gun battle between police and 25 heavily armed robbers in Johannesburg, left 10 of them dead and four officers wounded.
It’s shootings like these that have attracted the attention of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), which is tasked with policing the police by investigating shootings involving SAPS members.
Last week, Ipid expressed concern at what it says is an unacceptably high number of suspects who are now being killed by police.
The body has made it clear that it finds some of the killings suspicious, adding that “criminals are meant to be arrested, not killed”.
This statement triggered hundreds of comments from citizens clearly done with respecting the human rights of those who trample over ours, by spreading fear and mayhem.
Last week, Ipid said over a 30 day-period, police in KwaZulu-Natal shot and killed at least 19 people in seven separate incidents.
In response, one reader commented: “We need to improve those numbers. Only 19? Aim for 50 this week.”
Another added: “Shame man, but I can honestly say I don’t give a toss about the life of a criminal.”
Spinning Ipid’s concern on its head, another user had this to say: “I’m concerned about the high number of criminals not killed by cops yet. And the high number of innocent cops and people being killed by criminals.”
Other comments were equally cold and sarcastic, like this one: “Not a single citizen is concerned about criminals being removed. Carry on.”
Others made it clear that the lives of criminals mean little to nothing to them: “Those who deserve to be killed are being killed. I don’t know what IPID is moaning about.”
And lastly, a comment that shines the light on what could best be described as Ipid’s ignorance: “Obviously never been shot at and thinks that it’s easy to arrest someone shooting at you.”
All of those are as valid as Ipid’s original concern.
The truth is that we shouldn’t be this flippant about even just the suspected slaughter of fellow citizens.
But the fact that we are, should tell Ipid (and government) enough about the corrosive impact the collective trauma of spiralling crime is having on our value system.