South Africa's real crisis isn't crime — It's lawlessness

IOL News

2 days ago

Private Investigator and former police officer Brad Nathanson,
Image: Facebook
Lawlessness, not crime, will be the demise of us. And when you understand the difference, you'll agree.
Crime is committed by criminals. Lawlessness, on the other hand, flourishes when ordinary people begin to break the law because they no longer fear consequences. This happens when a state becomes too weak, too slow, or too indifferent to enforce its own laws. That is where we are now. If we don't return to basics, we will lose what little is left.
We need to enforce the law. But how? With what resources?
There are not enough police vehicles. That is a fact. A police officer with the best intentions will be failed by a justice system that allows endless postponements until the case is eventually withdrawn. The complainant gives up. Hope is gone.
The police cannot keep up. They are understaffed, under-resourced, and underpaid. What incentive do they have? Minimum wage and no support. And who benefits from the endless delays? Someone is getting paid, because in the justice system, time costs money.
Criminals know how to frustrate the process. They use delay as a weapon. For them, time works in their favour. For victims, it means months of sitting on hard benches in court, unsure whether the matter will even proceed. That chaos spills over into families, livelihoods, and communities.
Eventually, you realise you're up against someone who has nothing but time and little to lose. How many court appearances does it take before a victim gives up? Too many. And who can blame them?
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Our courts have become the very image of organised chaos. They are overburdened, understaffed, and badly maintained.
Do I think we've gone too far? Sadly, yes. But I want to be proven wrong.
The police force is the backbone of any country. When it becomes ridiculed or distrusted, society loses its grip. People obey the law not only because it exists, but because breaking it leads to real consequences.
That takes us back to the justice system. There is no shortage of work in our courts. From cleaners and interpreters to prosecutors, magistrates, attorneys, judges and advocates, the entire machine is under pressure and most charge by the hour. The police blame the courts. The courts blame the police. So who is responsible?
The answer lies with the government of the day. There is simply not enough money left to fix the following: Make policing a respected career. Recruit the best. Train and equip them properly.
Restore respect for police officers by giving them the tools and authority they need.
Outsource what can be outsourced, from forensic work to administrative support, so that dockets are properly prepared before reaching overworked prosecutors.
How can this happen without money? It can't. But political will can change that.
Since becoming a private investigator, I have seen this breakdown firsthand. Often, we are called in not because people no longer believe in the police, but because the police simply cannot do the work. They lack the time, the tools, and the support. We are filling gaps in a system that was never meant to be this broken.
That is the real threat. Not just crime, but lawlessness. When people lose faith in the system and see that the law can be broken without consequence, the country starts to fall apart.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the running joke from those caught driving drunk was, 'It's okay, I've got money for KFC on me.' Since moving to the Western Cape, I've never heard of a police officer being bribed. I'm not naïve. It may still happen. But it's not the talk around the braai. Instead, people warn each other. Don't get caught. You will be punished.
That is what makes the difference.