Parliament sets a poor example on violence – Pieter Groenewald

FF Plus leader says MPs too often have to be forcefully removed from the chamber

Parliament debates violence, but sets a poor example itself

10 September 2019

The Members of Parliament want to debate crime and violence, but it is oftentimes in Parliament where the example to resolve disagreements by means of violence is set for the public.

The people of South Africa have heard the topics of crime and violence being debated in Parliament time and again. They have grown tired of listening to hollow words. They want to see action being taken.

The situation in the country can be compared to a spider’s web where the spider symbolises violence and criminality. The threads of the web are the various problematic issues that activate the spider whenever they are touched on.

One important aspect of the spider’s web is that there must be mutual respect for each other and our differences. And yet experience has taught us that disputes in Parliament are often settled through violence by Members of Parliament who then have to be forcefully removed from the council chambers. Violence and crime have become the accepted norm for reacting to problems in South Africa.

That is, after all, the example set for the public. How ironic is it that Parliament holds a debate on something like domestic violence, when it is a shining example of how to use violence to resolve disagreements.

The government must realise that it has a responsibility to take action against crime and violence.

However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the government is in denial and is trying to avoid shouldering the blame by pointing fingers and blaming others.

As long as the ANC keeps trying to shift the blame for all the country's problems to white people, the problems will remain unsolved.

The fact that the ANC's Secretary-general, Ace Magashule, blames white people for the xenophobic attacks serves as proof that the government does not want to accept responsibility for the situation. This creates polarisation in the country.

The country's criminal justice system must be improved to ensure that decisive action is taken against criminality. Criminals are literally getting away with murder. Specialist units, like the murder and theft unit, must be reinstated. Criminals must know that they will pay a price for committing crimes and murders.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 10 September 2019