Real men don’t rape.

In a time of increasing crime in South Africa, the statistics are compiling against the Mbeki government as it continues to fail to keep its people safe. Women and children fear for their lives each day as the statistics sent out by the South African Police Service, a part of the South African Department of Safety and Security, have announced that last year alone, in the Republic, over 22,000 women and children were raped.

In comparison, in the United States, 32 of every 100,000 people are raped. In South Africa, 47 of every 100,000 people are raped. This number doesn’t include the amount of people who are brutally murdered after their rapes either.

In a failing effort to quell rising crime in South Africa, the government has put together a contingency plan to develop “neighbourhood councils” and other such devices that hopefully will deter crime in South Africa. Unfortunately, it has not, and the people are calling for more action against the South African government seeing as how they are seemingly failing their people. However, in defence of the Mbeki government, it must be noted that the South Africans have seen a decrease of 7.3% in all rape cases, but it is widely assumed that this is due to the lack of reporting by women and children who just assume it as part of their daily lives.

In an article published recently by Politicsweb in South Africa, Helen Zille explains the situation quite admirably and in fact goes as far as stating that political candidates, such as Jacob Zuma, have absolutely no continuing plans to quell the high crime rate in comparison to that of its counterparts. Relative to the situation however, crime has been increasing all over Africa and the world as tensions are getting more and more fierce over rising fuel and oil prices.

However, dire straits can not be blamed for the lack of action that the governments of the world are taking to reduce crime and most notably, South Africa. Whilst their intentions are definitely noble, the only way to keep their people from fearing for their lives when they walk out of the door is to provide a more expedient and efficient police service that allows for more resources to be allocated.

The South African government has put together no plans to “modernize” the South African Police Service, and has in fact, since its inception from independence, stifled its capabilities as a national organization. It has also been noted that South Africa has provided little to the Child Protection Unit of the SAPS, which is primarily concerned with the welfare of children.

It has been reported that infants in South Africa are being raped by adults with AIDS, who by some idiotic religious or otherwise, cultural conviction, because they believe that it will cure the deadly disease which is currently rampant in South Africa and other parts of the nation. According to the CIA World Factbook on South Africa, 5.3 million people are currently living with AIDS and the life expectancy has fallen now to 42 years of age. Under white rule, the life expectancy was reported at age 65. A severe decrease has been seen since South African independence from white apartheid policies.

By no means am I condoning the behaviour of the white Afrikaaner government, but it seems as if there was greater control over the people of South Africa during its regime than there is now. I understand that the policies were heinous and unrelenting to human rights, however, the differences in statistics makes me wonder how on Earth a country that was once extremely prosperous and healthy is now dying of major diseases and rape is running rampant inside its borders.

Whilst South Africa is still a bastion for democracy and equality in Africa, it makes me wonder how much longer this is going to stand true. Unless some serious events begin happening that change the face of South African crime, crime will rule South Africa, not the people.