Our communities have gotten tired of the crime happening right under their noses. Theft of property, rape, housebreaking and robberies are the things happening in our lovely communities. What’s frustrating is that these crimes are committed by our own children, our friends, and brothers.

The communities are fed up because the police are doing nothing about it. Actually, some of them take part in these crimes. And so our communities have decided to take the law into their own hands. If you are caught committing a crime or you are suspected of committing a crime, they don’t ask you ‘whatsup’, they don’t care about your side of the story. They either beat you up till you are barely moving or dead, or they burn you alive. This has become a norm. And this act is supposed to bring justice, development and uplift the community since everyone will be afraid to be involved in a crime.

And from my own point of view, I don’t think we are doing any good to the community, South Africa or the world for that matter. I say this because many of these crimes are committed by children, most of who are addicted to drugs. What good are we doing to the world by killing children?

I know there is no excuse for their actions, but killing them? They are just lost souls that need direction. They need to be shown a way, a righteous way. They are the product of the households they come from and the communities they live in, so it’s our fault. And as a community we have to fix our ways.

Instead of judging them, being angry at them and killing them, how about we build community prisons? Not the Sun City where you always have to watch your back, but a place where they can learn the right direction, where they can be cured from the demons in their bodies in the form of drugs. And in this place, they do not have a choice but to abide by the rules or they won’t be released. The only way to be released should be through tremendous recovery. Here they should discover themselves and what they really want to do with their lives. And they shall be in prison till they know what to do when they get to the outside world.

And by doing so, we are investing in communities and our future and we create better individuals, parents and citizens of tomorrow.

***

Tell us: What is your solution to mob justice?