Can the DA Really Fix Crime?

Yesterday witnessed another armed robbery at a local "institution" in the KZN Midlands, the Wartburger Hof, an old German hotel/pub not far from where I live. Two were killed.

In light of this and the spate of crime that is by now an old story in South Africa, ask yourself: what does the DA have in mind that is very different to what the ANC are doing? Really, ask yourself. Sure, they'll talk about less corruption at the top level, better policing, less protection of the criminals, but these are largely soft issues that don't really send a clear message and take time to implement anyway.

And the other parties? Well, it's clear that ANC don't have a clue. IFP are the no-policy-party. PAC, Cosatu and the SACP probably fall along similar lines to the ANC.

Contrast this with the ACDP who have two radical policies... The death penalty for convicted murderers and labour/work for prisoners. On the first, the death penalty does indeed send out a clear message and on the latter, prison is currently a bed of roses. In my little town, the fences are broken, but the prisoners don't escape because they eat well, play soccer and watch TV, and keep their families with them. In other words, after being a burden on society through their crime, they continue to be a burden and contribute absolutely nothing. If the rest of society can be putting in some labour to put food on the table, then prisoners definitely can.