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It is an incontrovertible fact that crime is one of the major challenges facing South Africans right now, a scourge setting our country back.
Because many communities have given up on the police – some of whom are part of the criminal networks – when a bold individual comes along and takes the law into his own hands in a bid to bring about justice against those who have erred, many people embrace that person.
A case in point is that of Xolani Khumalo, the erstwhile presenter of the anti-drug TV show, Sizokuthola. He not only exposed drug dealers and other criminals, but sometimes beat them up.
READ: Former Sizokthola's Xolani Khumalo accused of another murder during alleged botched drug bust
At the zenith of his fame, Khumalo was not only extolled as the embodiment of justice, but some people emulated his actions. A new wave of vigilantism swept the country.
Where lawlessness prevails the people most likely to be negatively affected are those at the lowest rungs of society. Vigilante witch-hunts tend to lead to the death of many innocents.
We have seen how, in the absence of proper policing, opportunistic individuals such as Khumalo and groups such as Operation Dudula can gain the upper hand.
For a while, communities tend to celebrate them for bringing order. But then things get completely out of hand as these self-appointed knights in shining armour, or their clones, become a law unto themselves and start killing people indiscriminately.
READ: 'Cops are protecting Xolani's accomplices,' say family of deceased alleged drug dealer
It is most worrying that TV shows such as Sizokuthola are actively legitimising vigilantism. With the death of one person, allegedly at the hands of Khumalo’s crew, Moja Love, the channel behind Sizokuthola, should have learnt its lesson.
We must insist on the police doing their work and, through community structures, help put pressure on them to do that – using legal channels to do so.
Vigilantism is a short-term solution that always backfires.
