Is the Illusion of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ Finally Approaching Its End?

The ‘Rainbow Nation’ recently had its rainbow cracked and seen to be what it is, an illusion of how 18 years can undo over 350 years of oppression and hatred. We are eager to ignore that Apartheid was not mere hatred which just magically vanished when Mandela was democratically elected as the country’s president in 1994; it was an entire system- a system which affected and was deeply entrenched into every facet of everyday life in South Africa- something that will take a long time to undo.

 

South Africans though have a taste for being ‘politically correct’, which has seen to it that race and racism become ‘taboo’ or ‘difficult’ topics to discuss- when in fact our history as a nation cannot be separated from these- nor can we move beyond it without the necessary discourse- which holds the key for paving a way forward . Former FHM model Jessica Leandra did the nation a favour by calling someone a ‘kaffir’ and an ‘African Monkey’ on Twitter recently, which saw the battle lines drawn and drew real responses from people, rather than the ‘politically correct’ bull-shit we are used to hearing.

 

Despite the great condemnation which came from both black and white, it was most fascinating to see- as Gillian Schutte eloquently describes in ‘The Whiteness Smorgasbord’- how “whiteness is often presented as victim to the ‘savagery’ of blackness in the form of endless whinging about crime, corruption, inefficiency and BEE. From intellectual discourse, to mainstream chatter, to barely-educated braai banter, whiteness is always sure of one thing – superiority over other races – particularly the African race. Whether it is disguised in liberal equanimity or downright racism, this whiteness discourse espouses the same learnt notion that white is right – even in a so-called Rainbow Nation”. There was more outrage about the word k****r being used publicly, than outrage about the clearly still alive and lurking racism in our country.

 

Whether or not the word the word is used openly, there is no doubt that at dinner tables it is used; it is used on farms, campuses, and schools and even clearly passed on to those of the so-called ‘Born Free’ generation- judging by Jessica Leandra’s date of birth. It can be argued that to presume this based on one person’s tweet is very questionable, however it goes beyond that tweet. That black people are still referred to as k****rs is evidenced in many tweets such as this one from @toann13 saying, “Kaffirs het vir die tweede keer in 2 weke my laptop uit my kar gesteel. Well done ANC! Ons land is great!” [K****rs have stolen my laptop from my car for the second time in 2 weeks… …Our land is great!], amongst many others. It can be seen on News24 comments; the 3^rd Degree Facebook page; the way some white folk say to a black person “your government”, when they too are South Africans living in the country- therefore being ruled by the same government.

 

Leandra apologised, saying that the word was said in anger, but reality is, words you normally do not use do not just magically find themselves in your vocabulary when angry. It is clear that referring to black people as ‘African Monkeys’ and ‘k****rs’ is something that she is used to and with humans being the social beings that they are, she has obviously used those words in the presence of others- who clearly condone this or she would have never thought it an appropriate thing to say in public. Some people were sympathetic towards Jessica Leandra and many comments were made about how black people should “get over it”; about how it is “just a word”. There were even discussions about where the word originated from and what it means, all of which I strongly believe to be misguided as within the South African context, it was used to degrade, oppress and dehumanise an entire race of human beings- something which should surely transcend its origins.

 

Those who sympathise with her and feel that people came down too heavy on her seem to overlook that the poverty and the deep-rooted inequality we have in South Africa are a direct consequence of apartheid, which saw to the deliberate underdevelopment of black communities; the dispossession of people from their land and in turn housing, as well as discrimination in the quality of all basic rights and services including healthcare, education and social security. Despite all that has been achieved in the last 18 years, reality is we still have two education systems and two healthcare systems, amongst many more. It is often argued that black people have full access to all the privileges that were once exclusively for white people, this is in fact misleading as the majority of black people cannot afford these services which renders them still inaccessible. It is clear that what was in fact done was to remove the visible ‘Whites Only’ signs, but the barriers are still there- evidenced by how the majority of black people are still limited to the below standard services that came with apartheid. For those benefitting from the privilege that came with this system, it is very easy to condone such words and even comment about how it is acceptable because “They sing Dubula Ibhunu” and for those who have ended up privileged today despite the past, it is also easier to overlook all this by virtue of being blinded to the suffering of our people- as a direct result of apartheid- that continues today despite the ‘freedom’ we claim to have.

 
We preach ‘rainbow nation’ but reality is, it’s going to take a whole lot more than the removal of ‘whites only’ signs to undo the damage and hurt caused by apartheid. This is a truth we are expected to sweep under the rug, because many don’t want to both hear and accept it- but until this truth is openly spoken about- a way forward will not be paved and people will continue to be ‘shocked’ and ‘appalled’ by manifestations of the racism that lurks below the surface of our precious ‘Rainbow Nation’.

 

Reference:

Schutte, G. 2012, ‘The Whiteness Smorgasbord’, South African Civil Society Information Service, 20 April, <http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/1273> 

Moss Phakoe: We Are Accomplices to Murder!

In his fourth State of the Nation Address on the 9^th of February 2012, President Jacob Zuma affirmed that the battle against corruption would continue to be a priority for government. He further went on to welcome the launch of Corruption Watch and encouraged cooperation in the implementation of anti-corruption progammes. Shortly thereafter on the 18^th February 2012, North-West Premier Thandi Modise presented the State of the Province Address in which she said, issues of mismanagement, irregular expenditure, fraud and corruption needed to be addressed and the province would continue to push for a corruption-free administration. These are very noble sentiments, considering the devastating blow corruption deals on service delivery, but in the same nation addressed by Zuma and in the very province Premier Thandi Modise addressed lurks a web of corruption which led to the murder of a man out to stop it.

Moss Phakoe, a councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, was murdered only two days after meeting Cooperative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and handing over a dossier of allegations about office bearers and officials in the Bojanala District Municipality (Please see an earlier post, ‘Corruption, Murder and Misplaced Priorities in the North-West Province’: http://goo.gl/7ukK2 ). His alleged murders have since been arrested, although charges against North West businessman Oupa Mphomane and Rustenburg Councillor Amos Mataboge, have since been dismissed over lack of evidence linking them to the crime. The remaining alleged murders are currently on trial, with many explosive allegations being made- despite the lack of media coverage about the trial.

According to Alfred Motsi- Phakoe’s confidant, colleague and fellow whistle-blower- almost a year before Phakoe’s death, the two of them armed with the dossier of incriminating evidence of corruption amounting to millions of rands allegedly approached the following:

-       The ANC regional leadership;

-        The provincial leadership of the North West;

-       They also met with ANC national executive committee members Billy Masetlha and Siphiwe Nyanda;

-       They delivered evidence to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe after which they went to The Office of the President, then run by current Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe (Basson A., 2012-03-11, City Press)

Following the lack of action by those approached, it is alleged that the pair then sent the evidence to Jacob Zuma, who thereafter invited them to see him over the 2008 festive season. According to Motsi, it was following this meeting that they met a group including, then deputy president Baleka Mbete; Thandi Modise, who is now Premier of the North-West province and ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa. It was concluded that the dossier be provided to former Minister Sicelo Shiceka, who would call a meeting to resolve the problem. It is alleged that also present in this meeting with the Minister was Mathews Wolmarans, a man not only reportedly incriminated in the dossier, but who has since been charged with the murder of Moss Phakoe and is now standing trial for it.

It is alleged that “Zuma and other party leaders decided to deal with the corruption claims within the ANC”, allegations which if are indeed true, raise the question of why ‘political solutions’ are being applied to criminal cases, as doing this undermines the rule of law- which is the foundation of our democracy. But most disturbing of all is the allegation that, “The deceased told the former minister ‘this may be the last day of my life’ when he handed the report to him”.

It is shocking that amidst these damning allegations being made; those who so passionately wanted Phakoe’s murderers to be brought to justice are now silent. If indeed as a nation we seek to eradicate the scourge of corruption, so rife in our land, each one of us should be up in arms demanding answers to the following:

-       Have any charges been laid against the high-ranking police officer in whose office Hawks investigators allegedly found missing evidence related to the murder of Moss Phakoe?

-       Will the ANC probe allegations made about high ranking officials in the organisation having been shown the dossier, but doing nothing about it- which possibly could have saved Phakoe’s life?

-       Why was a man, allegedly incriminated in the dossier allowed to be part of a meeting in which evidence against him was being presented?

The Moss Phakoe murder is indicative that pulling a trigger is not the only way to kill a man and solely holding those who pull the trigger to account would not be justice, as those who could potentially have saved his life are not being held accountable for their failure to do so.

As a nation, our silence about this makes us all accomplices to Phakoe’s murder- the murder of a man who was merely responding to the call of duty, a duty which we all have as South Africans.

My Take on the Verdwaal Tragedy…

It is very scary how when one speaks of hunger and poverty, many South Africans seem to believe the problem is ‘elsewhere’- with some even referring to countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia when the topic is brought up. Reality is, even here in our very own land- a country in which the right to life, food, health and water are enshrined in the highest law of the land- many still live below the poverty line and chronic hunger lurks amongst us.

In November 2011, four children died, taking with them whatever potential they carried. These children were from Verdwaal in the North-West province of South Africa- a country barely, if ever associated with hunger. Yet, post-mortem results confirmed that the children, aged 9, 7, 6 and 2 years old respectively, died of starvation and dehydration- after they walked for about 10km-14km looking for their mother to give them food.

Following the tragedy, Gift of the Givers was quick to take action. On the 22nd November 2011, they arrived in Verdwaal “with 600 food parcels, 1500 bottles of 500ml water, 300 blankets, 2000 sweet packs (non-nutritious but emotionally exhilarating for children) and 600 x 1kg washing powder to a community, that shockingly had nothing. The teams returned on 29 November 2011 and fed 3000 “wet” meals to the community” (See http://www.giftofthegivers.org/death-in-itsoseng/hunger-in-verdwaal.html). The figure is said to have doubled to 6000 on the 30th November 2011. The North-West Provincial government too responded, donating food parcels to the impoverished community. Despite the generosity shown to the community of Verdwaal, a sustainable solution to the problem is needed to ensure that the tragedy never again happens- a solution aimed at ensuring that each family is self-reliant, because aid can only last for so long.

As sad as I find it that it took the needless loss of life to achieve this, I do appreciate how hunger in South Africa was put under the spotlight in a way we have never seen before. Various independent newspapers and online publications reported it; the DA released a statement on the matter and it was shared quite extensively on social networks- with many expressing shock that this could happen in our country. Broadcast media too covered it and on the 19th January 2012, it even made it to Special Assignment- a relatively popular weekly South African documentary.

This extensive coverage revealed that, almost the entire community of more than 4 000 people was undocumented, leaving them unable to access services such as social grants- a shocking, but not unique situation in this beautiful land of ours.

Despite my great joy at having this burning topic so well covered and having fellow South Africans brought face to face with the reality faced by many in our country, I am concerned about how the coverage was just stopped abruptly- which some people may interpret to mean that the tragic deaths of these children was in fact a once-off affair, rather than the reality that it is. It was reported that the “South African Social Security Agency spokesman Smangaliso Semeleni said they would ensure that every individual in Verdwaal had an identity document, which would allow them to access social grants, within two weeks” and yet we do not know if this was done, because those who reported on the matter seem to have vanished- not bothering with follow-ups nor with holding those who made promises just after the tragedy accountable. As is, most South Africans who had been following the story have no idea if any real change, apart from talk was made in the village, something which is unforgivable, especially considering the functions of the media in a democratic state. No-one who covered the matter, bothered to identify other villages- some not even too far from Verdwaal facing the same challenges to ensure that we are all aware that for some, starvation is a part of their daily lives.

Let my pointing out of the failures of the media not be seen as me holding them solely responsible for this tragedy, because it is our collective selves to blame. If one digs beyond the surface of these children dying of hunger and dehydration, one will find the truth- that these four children did in fact not starve to death, but were actually murdered. We murdered them together, with indifference being our weapon, because if each of us raised our voice at injustice; if each of us worked to empower at least one other person and if each of us made kindness and humanity a part of our daily lives- these children would still be alive today and able to contribute in creating a better future for our country…

Corruption, Murder and Misplaced Priorities in the North-West Province

Moss Phakoe, a councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, paid dearly for unearthing corruption, fraud, nepotism and mismanagement. As an ANC councillor and unionist- eager to rid the province of corruption- he dug up evidence showing multimillion-rand fraud in the North-West province, an act seen to have been little more than signing his death warrant. On the evening of March 13th 2009, his body was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car with two bullet wounds, only two days after meeting Cooperative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and handing over a dossier of allegations about office bearers and officials in the Bojanala District Municipality. It is believed that at the time of his murder, he had just returned to his Rustenburg home after putting up ANC posters for the national election and it is also said that nothing was stolen from him, which makes it all the more clear that this was no robbery.

Moss Phakoe’s death rightfully sparked a nationwide outcry and many vows were made about catching his killer/s. Without a doubt, in a nation so crippled by corruption, whistle-blowing has become as vital as breathing- if any progress is to be made. Corruption affects so much of our daily lives, from service delivery to the respect of the rule of law, which is why it cannot be allowed to become a norm in our country and which is why men like Moss Phakoe are so very needed. Many communities are deprived of their most basic rights, whilst others enrich themselves with state coffers meant to be used for the benefit of these very communities. With a nation buckling under corruption, the rage felt is not only understood, but very welcome too.

2011 saw a number of shocking arrests being made for the murder. This started on the 6th of August 2011, when Enoch Matshaba- a former Unkhonto we Sizwe (MK) operative who was arrested for involvement in the murder was refused bail. Friday the 23rd September 2011 saw former Rustenburg Executive Mayor Mathews Wolmarans and Amos Mataboge, a Rustenburg Councillor arrested, for their alleged involvement in the murder of Phakoe. This was followed by the arrest of Oupa Mphomane, also known as Oubanana- a well known businessman based in the North West- on Thursday 29 September 2011.

Following the arrests, civil society, together with members of the ANC, along with alliance partners who had come out with their guns blazing- seeking his murderer/s to be brought to justice picketed outside the court, during bail hearings and were extremely angered on the 6th of October 2011, when former Mayor Wolmarans was released on bail.

However, I strongly believe that those infuriated by Moss Phakoe’s murder have misplaced their focus, in the process allowing it to be used as a weapon to torpedo political opponents. What they need to do is respect the assumption of “innocent until proven guilty” and should not prejudge nor politicise the matter, but rather leave it to the competency of the courts. Their current behaviour and the accusations flying around, do nothing to build the nation’s confidence in the administration of justice, because if our leaders cannot trust the courts, how can we as civil society?

The greatest tribute that can now be paid to the deceased is to ensure that he did not die in vain, which should the corruption unearthed by him not be brought to book would be the case. What the focus should be on is uncovering:

- What happened to the dossier that was handed to Minister Sicelo Shiceka?

- What follow-up was made on the allegations made in the dossier?

- What happened to the ‘secret report’ regarding the dossier which was allegedly handed to former North West premier, Maureen Modiselle? and

- What was the outcome of the probe into Phakoe’s death and corruption in the province, which was instituted by then Premier Maureen Modiselle?

For as long as these questions go unanswered, none of us can rest easy- because it is a slap in the face of what Moss Phakoe stood for, breaking the cycle of corruption…

Joe Slovo: A Community Let Down

We often hear of service delivery protests in South Africa and for many; they are little more than an inconvenience to the rest of us- creating unnecessary strife and disorder in the country. How many of us take the time to really get to know what these protests are really about and the context that those who live in these communities are forced to live in?

Joe Slovo, a squatter camp based in North-West Johannesburg on the edge of the suburbs of Coronation and Crosby is one of the many communities that have been let down, not only by government; but by us as civil society and even the media too. The squatter camp, now in existence for 18 years was formed on land owned by Transnet, which agreed to this when approached by the first settlers there.

Over and above the many problems experienced in the area, devastating fires have been one of the greatest concerns. On the 2^nd July 2001, the area burned down as a result of one man’s substance abuse induced carelessness, leaving many in the community with nothing, but the clothes they were in and in utter devastation. It then emerged that many a time, domestic violence, which more often than not can be attributed to substance abuse was one of the causes of the fires in homes- as husbands were known to kick paraffin stoves when angry and even push their partners over water in imbaula. Whilst the community was still recovering from this, another fire struck in the only the following month. Another devastating fire struck again in 2003, with no help from disaster management, as no official investigation was conducted into the cause of the fire. And even more recently, in the last two months, many in the community once again lost it all as yet another fire- believed to have been caused by illegal electrical connections- ravaged the camp. One of the main reasons that these fires cause so much damage is that the shacks, which are so close to each other, create an environment suitable for run away fires and even hinder  attempts to put the fires out- as the space is too small for the fire trucks to enter the village, amongst other dangers.

Over and above the need to constantly be starting afresh with their lives, due to these terrible fires, problems in the community include:

-       Substance abuse,

-       Illegal electricity,

-       Illegal taverns and shebeens,

-       A lack of adequate sanitation,

During an interview with community members, one of whom is one of the longest staying residents; alarming allegations were made about poor service received from the SAPS meant to service them; their former Councillor and many others in government, who were meant to assist them. One of the community members present even went as far as saying that perhaps trashing the streets and burning tyres is the only option left to them, as all other attempts to reach out have yielded no results.

A walk through the squatter camp shows conditions that no human being should ever have to live in and which go against our very Bill of Rights. However, the story of this community is nothing unique. It is a phenomenon that can be witnessed in many other marginalised areas all across the country, yet more often than not, these stories continue to go untold and some in the same country remain oblivious to the conditions which spur on the many protests that can be witnessed in our country from time to time. Many continue to ignore the dangerous conditions forced on some and which lead to needless tragedy and heartbreak, as experienced by those who have lost and will continue to lose their loved ones and all they own to these horrific flames. How long will this be allowed to continue? How long will we continue to sit back in silence, allowing the cries of our fellow countrymen to go unheard?

Without a doubt, the silence of government can be written off to incompetence and/or corruption, but what about the silence of the media- ‘the watchdogs of democracy’ a.k.a ‘the voice of the voiceless’ and that of civil society? What about all of us, citizens of South Africa who also remain silent about this grave injustice happening to or fellow human beings…

South African Media, Failing the Children of SA

“National Child Protection Week is an annual campaign of the Government of South Africa led by the Department of Social Development in partnership with other government departments and civil society organisations. Key partners include Childline and Unicef. The goal for Child Protection Week is to promote the culture of respect for children’s rights thus ensuring that all children grow up in an environment that is safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation…” Taken from Bua News

As we celebrate National Child Protection week and use it to raise awareness about children’s issues, let there be no doubt that efforts to protect our children should go beyond these seven days and awareness about the plight of South African children should be raised continuously. However, I deeply question if this is being done.

Apart from being ‘champions of democracy’ the role of the media in a democratic state is also to give voice to the voiceless. This includes children, who are our most vulnerable citizens and who more often than not, bear the brunt of society’s ills. It’s hard to understand why, besides the occasional rape story, children get so little media coverage.

It’s even more difficult to understand, considering that:

• 2 in 5 citizens are under 18
• 2 in 3 children live below the poverty line
• 1 in 3 children have no running water at home
• 2 in 5 children don’t have proper toilets
• 1 in 5 children have no electricity at home
• 1 in 3 teens travel long distances to school
• 2 in 5 schools don’t have adequate sanitation
(www.childrencount.ci.org.za)

Why the silence about children? Why are the conditions that many of South Africa’s children not put on the spotlight for the country to see? Why do so many of our children’s stories remain untold? The struggles they meet on a daily basis, which range from having to return to abusive homes because of a lack of places of safety; the exploitation they face when raising their siblings; the extremes some have to go to for a glass of water or a plate of food and many other sad, terrifying tales… Why is there no awareness being raised about this?

If we are really serious about protecting the nation’s young and most vulnerable citizens, we as civil society should also act, holding the media accountable for their lack of responsiveness to the plight of the nations children.

There is no doubt that, South Africa has some of the most progressive laws on the protection of children. These include:

• The Constitution, adopted in 1996, is the supreme source of law in South Africa which protects the rights of all children. Section 28 of the Constitution clearly sets out rights for every child. A child’s best interests are of paramount importance in all matters.

• South Africa ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the world’s leading instrument on the rights of children and young people. By signing up the Convention, the South African government committed itself to protect and promote children’s rights.

• Maintenance Act (1998) guarantees the socio-economic rights afforded children in the Constitution by ensuring that every child has the right to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. The Act ensures that maintenance for the child is recovered form the patents or other persons financially responsible for the child.

• The Childrens’Act (2005) and Children’s Amendment Act (2007) serve as instruments for fighting child poverty and of promoting the rights of children.

• The passing of the Sexual Offences and the Films and Publication Amendment Bills by Parliament further creates an enabling environment for protection of children and prosecution of offenders in South Africa.

• The annual Child Protection Week, 16 Days of Activism for no Violence against Women and Children and the launch of the 365 Days plan of action reflect the determination of government and its civil society partners to ensure that every child enjoys their Constitutional rights.
(http://www.dsd.gov.za/)

Yet the media fail to hold those responsible for implementing these laws accountable for any failure to do so. They also fail to highlight the child trafficking and subsequent child exploitation for purposes of prostitution, forced labour, and muti-related crimes – all serious issues, placing our children at risk.

There is no doubt that, a multi-sector approach is needed to adequately address child poverty and end child-directed abuse and violence, the media is one of the sectors with an important role to play in achieving this. Civil society too, has a role to play in the protection of children, unfortunately, they cannot play that role adequately if they do not know what is happening to our children.

I truly hope that the media use Child Protection Week as an opportunity to build the partnerships required in ensuring that they bring children’s issues to the fore and there is no doubt that, if this can happen, we will be closer to ensuring that children are protected from abuse and vulnerability.

Osama Bin Laden ‘Dead’: Justice or Revenge…?

In the East Room of the White House, President Barack Obama had this to say to the nation, after the announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s ‘death’ on the 2nd May 2011:

“Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.  The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts…

…And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network…” (See full transcript at http://www.newstatesman.com/2011/05/bin-laden-qaeda-pakistan-war)

Without a doubt, it was well delivered and appeals to human emotion to understand why he, Osama Bin Laden, had to die and makes it very clear that it was under his (Barack Obama) direction, that it happened.

That Osama Bin Laden is really dead, is suspect, taking into account that:

- No pictures of him, or rather his corpse have been made available, instead what we have are endless photographs of his compound- which to me doesn’t make sense considering that he is the main story, not his compound. Even if photos weren’t taken at the scene, surely when the body hit American soil, it would or rather should have been done;

- It has been reported that DNA results from the tests conducted on ‘his’ corpse prove that it was indeed Osama Bin Laden, yet these results have not been made available for verification by any independent organisation or anyone for that matter and

- With elections approaching and Obama’s popularity dwindling as it is, there is nothing that could endear him more to the American people, than capturing ‘that monster, who dared to shed American blood’.

There are many more suspect matters surrounding this ‘death’, yet for the purpose of this piece; I shall accept that he is dead and question his death, which to me amounts to nothing more than murder.

As many celebrate his death, talking about how “he had it coming” and “deserved what he got”, I feel that justice has been subverted, in favour of revenge- which is what this comes to. The man was murdered because he is believed to have murdered, nothing more. There is no doubt that, it can be and has been argued that murderers deserve to be killed, but I believe that responding in this way doesn’t serve justice as it degrades society by making us no different to the criminal.

Osama Bin Laden, like every other human being, should have been brought to face the full might of the law. He should have been captured, charged and as prescribed by The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, he should have had “the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favour and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” The appropriate sentence would have been handed out thereafter.

Merely killing him, just leaves too many questions- questions that will never be answered because the man never stood trial, questions which raise great doubt about his murder being justice served.

These questions include:

- Was he really guilty for the heinous September 11th attacks? Anyone can claim responsibility, it brings about respect from some and your name creates fear- which would make it worthwhile for some folk;

- The authenticity of the tapes in which he took responsibility for the attacks, has never been verified beyond reasonable doubt. With the amount of technological resources available, it is possible to create a taped confession that never took place;

- Was he forced, coerced or paid to make the tapes in which he took responsibility for the attacks? It has never been ruled out that he was possibly under some sort of threat, forcing him to take responsibility for the attacks- or that he was not bought to do it, people have done worse for money. As far fetched as force may sound, it happens. We in South Africa also experienced it under the apartheid regime, when many were forced to confess to crimes they did not commit.

We also cannot ignore that America needed someone to blame for the attacks, not knowing would have created an intense fear amongst its’ citizens, the kind of fear that could potentially have done great harm. It also would have created serious doubt about the government’s ability to secure its people, something which would have seriously dented America’s hegemon status, if it had been allowed to happen. As such, there’s no doubt that it was in the American governments’ best interests that someone claimed responsibility.

Justice is a recurrent theme in all Human Rights declarations and I believe that, just as the sun shines on us all- good and bad alike- so too should justice, which is something reflected by the U.S. Declaration of Independence which proclaims: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” So why was Bin Laden murdered- which was retribution and not justice? After all, he too was a human being, irrespective of what he may or may not have done. It is made all the more shocking by the fact that the birth and recognition of human rights are things mostly accredited to America, especially with the 1948 “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” drafted largely by Eleanor Roosevelt having confirmed this accreditation.

There is no doubt that some disagree with my view and believe his murder to be justice. However, if that is truly the case, why are they not calling for the murders of other mass murderers. Many like Robert Mugabe, George Bush and the many arms traffickers who supply the arms that kill millions of people, have much blood on their hands, why the silence about it…? If retribution is indeed justice, one would expect calls for it to be applied consistently to such criminals. Why should other mass murderers, like Ignace Murwanashyaka and Straton Musoni, get to stand trial? If retribution is justice, just kill them.

All who believe that Osama Bin Laden’s death is justice, but fail to call for justice in the cases of other mass murderers, are guilty of believing that American lives are more valuable than other lives or else, why would they seek justice for the loss of American lives, but not for others, like the thousands of Zimbabweans who have died as a direct result of Robert Mugabe’s actions. A lack of wanting to see it applied to all mass murderers merely shows they have more of an interest in “the American dream”, than the quest to actually have justice served…

As for me, like Desmond Tutu, I believe that “to take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice”, something I will neither celebrate nor play a part in. Reality is, one man’s murder will not change what happened on September 11th, nor will it bring an end to terrorism. All it does is keep the cycle of violence and revenge going- which does not do anyone any good.