OLWETHU MHAGA: A revolution in personal responsibility
The inconvenient truth is that the looters chose to partake in the violence
The mass acts of violence that occurred in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng from July 9-17 represented a nightmarish descent into hell comprising widespread looting, racial violence and vigilantism. What has now been euphemistically termed “the unrest” serves as a timely reminder for many of the tenuous thread by which order and civility are held.
In the aftermath of lawlessness and disorder what is required to avoid their repetition is not merely economic policy — as important as it may be — but, rather, a cultivation of the value and importance of personal responsibility. As explained by former US president Ronald Reagan: “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the precept that each individual is accountable for their actions.”..
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
This article is free to read if you sign up or sign in.
If you have already registered or subscribed, please sign in to continue.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.