Times Of Swaziland: A CRIPPLING THOUGHT

A CRIPPLING THOUGHT
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Editor on 04/08/2022 08:08:00


Sir,
The true measure of a man is his ability to take accountability even though it
might be detrimental to his reputation. There are unanswered questions that we
have refused to speak of till today. After the mayhem that ensued last year,
where people actually lost lives, there are people who are still roaming freely
without any repercussions. In light of this, I have noticed that, as of late,
there seems to be a blurred line between who is worse between a thief and a
murderer. I say this because most people would rather a thief was accountable
for the crime they commit than a murderer.
During the nationwide mayhem which occurred around the end of June, numerous
people lost their lives, and till today not one person has been brought to book
for it. Most would like to forget about those fateful nights, however, the
families of these individuals have to live without any closure as to who exactly
is responsible for their relatives’ deaths. These people had families, friends
and aspirations, and all this was taken without any regard. When you highlight
this subject, most are quick to dismiss you by bringing up looting and vandalism
as if that somehow vindicates the loss of life. As a people, how did we get to a
point where we value money and material things more than life?
Values
The values we have upheld for so long in this country suddenly okay death ‘as
long as the person deserved it’. This unfortunately is not an isolated view,
as I have observed that most privileged people are more concerned about the
looting of businesses rather than the loss of life that was seen in June last
year. This then makes one wonder, how safe are we in a country where those in
power value tangible things that can still be recovered more than life. Steve
Biko was right when he said:; “Black man, you are on your own.” However, one
thing I know about life is that the wheel always turns, one day it’s me and
the next day it’s you.
Some may walk around with their heads held high knowing they might have gotten
away with murder, yet never knowing when the day of reckoning will come. This
day might not be today, tomorrow or even five years from now, but it always
comes. When you look at history, you notice a pattern of how the one crime
people rarely get away with is murder, the one implicated may not necessarily be
apprehended for the killing but one way or the other they eventually pay. It is
unsettling how we have all just swiftly moved on from what can easily be
considered a massacre, without any care in the world. To think that with each
passing day, we might be living among people who readily pulled the trigger on
an unarmed person, or someone who ordered the killing of delinquents or mere
civilians without any threat, is a crippling thought.