South Africa Implements Special Courts For World Cup
Although they won’t admit it, the South African authorities are deeply concerned about crime during the World Cup. To curb this scourge when the eyes of the world will be on us, a decision has been taken to create special courts to deal with crimes committed during the event, especially in cases involving soccer tourists. The authorities are hoping that this action will stamp out crime and help fans feel more secure; also that it would give to foreign fans, whether they are victims or perpetrators, swift attention and justice.
The plan is for 54 of these special courts to be set up in all nine host cities throughout the country. They’ll operate for 15 hours a day commencing on the 28th May through to the 25th July. A tremendous amount of work and energy will go in to preparing this scheme.
The country welcomes the decision, but many South Africans are asking pertinent questions. Why does it take the staging of a Soccer World Cup to see the S A Government suddenly rushing in to action around the whole issue of crime? In a country where an average of 50 people are murdered every day, 250 000 homes burgled yearly, 60 000 rapes committed a year, and this saying nothing about car hijackings, violent robberies and assaults; why has this kind of commitment to stamping out crime been absent, virtually non-existent in the past years? What will happen when the World Cup dissolves in to South African sporting history - business as usual?
Granted, the Zuma administration has stepped up its efforts to fight crime. But suspicion lurks. Is it also because of the advent of the World Cup being so close? Further, the chilling way in which it was done is enough to frighten off any soccer fan. With reference to violent criminals, the deputy police minister arrogantly proclaimed, “Shoot the bastards.” The results, already, of this shoot-to-kill policy are the deaths of a number of bystanders which includes a three-year-old boy. Soccer fans beware. Make sure you’re no where around any of these “bastards” when the shots ring out.
Hopefully, when South Africa puts on its best behaviour before the world, it won’t simply be ‘playing to the gallery,” but offering an earnest and congruent demonstration of care and hospitality to the world, with the same being offered to its own, especially beyond the event.
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