The late
South African President Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. During his 80th
birthday in 1998, about 9,000 prisoners were paroled 3 days later. We will post
an article from Dr. Peter Hammond about the death penalty.
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INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.frontline.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=453:the-death-of-justice&catid=36:sarep&Itemid=183
The
Death of Justice
South Africa’s Murder Spree
Violent
crime is a reality that affects everyone. According to a recent Interpol
survey of its 96 member countries, South Africa had the worst rape statistics
and was the 3rd worst in murder statistics. In the last 20 years murder has
increased 350%. More people are killed each year in criminal violence in
South Africa than were killed in 13 years of political and military violence!
(SA Institute of Race Relations).
Since
the South African government suspended the death penalty on 4 February 1990,
over 200 000 people have been murdered.
The SA
Institute of Race Relations has reported that since 1983, over 2 600
policemen have been murdered. More policemen are killed in South Africa in a
week than in an entire year in Britain.
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The Failure of Justice and
Correctional Services
In one
year (1995), when there were 26 832 reported murders in South Africa, there
were only 4 372 prosecutions for murder and only 2 357 convictions. Therefore,
less than one murderer in ten was in any way punished.
According
to a Nedcor report on Crime, Violence and Investment, 94% of all prisoners
would immediately become involved in crime again once they were released!
There are
many horrific examples of criminals released on bail, or through an amnesty, committing
violent crimes:
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On
January 28, 1993 a convicted killer was sentenced in Pietermaritzburg Supreme
Court for raping and murdering a young school girl, Carla Holloway. According
to Judge Hugo, the killer, Thabiso Dlamini, who had 6 previous convictions,
should have still been in prison when he had committed the crime. Dlamini’s
early release had meant a horrible death for Carla.
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Dan
Mabote raped a seven-year-old girl in November 1996, was arrested and was
refused bail four times. It was finally granted because a harassed,
overworked prosecutor, who had only seen the docket that morning, did not
oppose it. Mabote abducted and murdered the girl on 25/3/97, the day before
she was to testify against him. He was only arrested four months later, as a
result of police bungling. Within two weeks of being sent to Sterkfontein
mental hospital for psychiatric tests, Mabote escaped from an unguarded
courtyard on 28/12/97. His victim’s mother, naturally fearing for her life,
went into hiding.
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Frans
du Toit and Theuns Krugers were out on bail, while charged with four counts
of rape between them, when they attacked Alison (27) in Port Elizabeth
(17/12/94). They raped her, stabbed her so many times doctors could not count
the number of wounds, slit her throat and then left her for dead. She managed
to crawl to the road for help and, incredibly, survived.
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All
sentenced criminals were given a 6-months remission of sentence on the
occasion of President Mandela’s 80th birthday and third wedding. About 9 000
prisoners were released on 20th June 1998. Some 15% of those released were
wanted on other charges. Four days after the premature release of two
criminals, they murdered a couple in their 70s. Other offences committed by
these released convicts included the rape of a 14-year-old girl at knife
point.
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Samuel
Sidymo (37), was out on parole nine months before completing his sentence for
rape, assault and robbery. Although charged in prison with assault he was
still deemed fit for release in Nov 1998. From December to Jan 6th, 1999, he
went on a killing spree murdering six people.
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In a
counter attack in Richmond, KwaZulu/Natal, (23/1/99), gunmen attacked the
home of a local official killing 11 people and injuring eight. Police
exchanged fire with the attackers killing one and arresting three. The dead
attacker was later identified as a man who was out on bail and had been due
to face trial for his role in the July 1998 murder of eight people in a
Richmond bar.
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There is
no doubt that soft judges make hardened criminals.
The Constitution
The SA
Constitution Bill of Rights guarantees everyone the "right to
life" Incredibly though, this has been interpreted as not applying to
innocent babies – who may be killed through abortion. However, it is applied to
protect convicted murderers – who can no longer be sentenced to death in a
court of law. This seems to favour the rights of the criminal because
suspending the death penalty has not prevented 200 000 people losing their
right to life at the hands of criminals. Or the 142 812 babies who have been –
legally – killed through abortion.
The Need for Capital
Punishment
Many
nations around the world still enforce the death penalty for capital crimes
such as murder. Over 71% of South Africans want the death penalty reinstated
(Human Sciences Research Council).
Those who
commit murder forfeit their own right to life by showing contempt for the right
to life of their victims. The death penalty is primarily a deterrent. That
which is feared the most, deters the most. It also ensures that a murderer does
not murder again.
For those
who hold the Word of God as authoritative, capital punishment is God’s clear
command:
"Whoever
sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God
has God made man . . . for all generations to come." Genesis 9:6, 12
"Anyone
who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death . . . if a man
schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from My altar and put
him to death . . . Anyone who kidnaps . . . must be put to death." Exodus 21:12-16
"If
anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death . . . whoever
kills a man must be put to death . . . I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 24:17-22
"Bloodshed
pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has
been shed except by the blood of the one who shed it." Numbers 35:33
And God’s
Law remains in force after Calvary (Acts 25:11). As our Lord Jesus taught:
"Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and
earth disappear not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by
any means disappear from the law." Matthew 5:17-18
The
government "does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant,
an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." Romans 13:4.
Governors "are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong." 1
Peter 2:14. "Anyone who kills with the sword, must himself be killed by
the sword" Revelation 13:10
The Bible
teaches that those nations that fail to enforce capital punishment will be
harshly judged (Jeremiah 2:34-37; Hosea 1:4; 4:1-6). By obeying God’s Law and
punishing murderers with the death penalty a nation can cleanse itself of the
guilt of innocent blood. On the other hand a nation that refuses to avenge the
taking of innocent human life must share the guilt of the murderer (Deuteronomy
21:1-9).
The
opposition of certain "human rights" groups to the death
penalty is selective. As capital punishment is only inflicted upon murderers,
one is given to wonder whether these groups are only concerned for the "rights"
of murderers? Should we not provide compassion and justice for the many
thousands of victims of violent crimes? Surely any civilised society has the
moral right and the duty to protect itself from those who have no respect for
human life?
In the
USA, law enforcers have documented that as executions declined – murders
increased. And when the death penalty was suspended the number of murders
doubled to 20 000 murders a year.
Those who
claim that capital punishment (even if imposed consistently and without undue
delay) would not be a deterrent to violent crime are saying in essence that
people are not afraid of dying. If so, then warning signs "Slow down",
"Bridge down", or "Danger 40 000 volts" are
futile relics of a bygone age when men feared death. But this is nonsense.
Capital punishment is a deterrent. In Utah when the death penalty was
re-imposed, with a single execution, in 1977, there was a dramatic decrease of
murders committed.
The
taking of a murderer’s life is akin to the amputation of a diseased limb in
order to save the rest of the body. All murder is serious and demands capital
punishment. Capital punishment is necessary for justice, for the rule of law
and for the protection of the innocent.
In the
book Make a Difference the following quote sums up the subject succinctly:
"Opposition to capital punishment . . . sides with evil; shows more regard for the criminal than the victim of the crime; weakens justice and encourages murder; is not based on Scripture but on a vague philosophical system that makes a fetish of the idea that the taking of life is wrong under every circumstance, and fails to distinguish adequately between killing and murder, between punishment and crime."
"Why
do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly
enough." Ecclesiastes
8:11
Dr. Peter
Hammond
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Firing Squad in
Indonesia
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