The police commissioner’s excuse for car smuggling ignores the real issue: internal corruption and failing border security.
There are a few ways to look at the extraordinary admission this week by police commissioner lieutenant-general Fannie Masemola that South African cops get little cooperation in neighbouring countries when trying to retrieve stolen cars smuggled across our borders.
The situation indicates the general level of disdain and lack of respect for South Africa.
This is hardly surprising, given that most people in this country – black and white – believe they are superior to other Africans.
This attitude often manifests itself in xenophobic attacks on other Africans.
The authorities in other countries argue that we shouldn’t try to solve our crime in their countries.
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On the one hand, that makes them accomplices… but they also have a point.
How do streams of vehicles get stolen or hijacked and spirited across our borders undetected without the help of officials in the system – from cops to border management personnel?
That’s what we really should be addressing – and trying to tackle the problem at source, rather than after the fact hundreds of kilometres away.
In reality, commissioner, the finger of accusation should be pointed at you and not at our neighbours.
You and your people are simply not doing the jobs we pay you to do.
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