Only in South Africa - again

I was listening to the radio in traffic today and I could not believe what I was hearing. It was the news at 17:00 and it was a government minister addressing parliament today.

Here is what she had to say :- Source BBC news website

SA police 'should shoot to kill'

A government minister in South Africa has told police they should kill criminals if they threaten police or the community, reports say.

Deputy security minister Susan Shabangu said police "must kill the bastards [criminals] if they threaten you", the Star newspaper reported.

"I want no warning shots, you have one shot and it must be a kill shot," she told an anti-crime meeting in Pretoria.

"You have been given guns, now use them," she added.

"The constitution says criminals must be kept safe, but I say no," she added.

The minister was responding to questions from residents on what the police and government were doing to curb crime.

South Africa suffers some of the highest levels of violent crime in the world, with police figures showing an estimated 20,000 murders committed every year.

Now listening to this I was in stitches at first - in absolute disbelief that this could be said in public. Now public opinion on what was said is a bit mixed. People who have been victims of this seem to agree on this hole heartily ( or is it cold heartedly ) and the rest were rather mixed.

I can not only but applaud the Deputy security minister for what she said as I think like many people in SA she is just fed up with criminals getting away quite litraly with murder over here.

BUT

And it is a big but, she is sort of sending out the wrong message. Cops should not be judge, jury and exicutioner. The juditial system says your "Inocent till proven guilty" and for this to remain people will have to stand trial for there crimes. I think what the Deputy security minister was saying that if your threatening life of innocent people you, the criminal's, life will also be threatened as a consequence.

Well I hope that's the case.

But what a woman for using the world "Bastards" in parliament and it being broadcasted for every one to hear. I hope the shock factor hit home to many.