Yesterday, in the morning, we caught a thief. This guy probably was my age or younger. He robbed one of the houses in my neighbourhood. He is your typical tsotsi. However, when faced with the anger of the community, fear removed all the valour in him.
When the guy was handcuffed, the elder men of the community were ferocious. They whipped out they whips and shamboks and beat the guy’s legs. Those legs bruised badly. At this point, the head patroller said that we should stop or else the police will point towards us for assault. At this stage, I took the opportunity to talk with this guy. My attempt of trying to understand his motives.
This guy was filled with fear. Not only of the community but of the people that sent him. He said that he was homeless and lived in town. The night before, two thugs roughed him up. According to his story, he owed these thugs some money. The thugs stabbed his leg and told him that he better pay or else his life was over. At that moment, the image of him being a mindless robber faded.
I felt bad for him. When he was caught, I was furious. How dare he rob our neighbourhood? To some extent, the crowd effect took place and I just wanted to put him to sleep as well. Luckily, the crowd effect lost its power and it was at this point I spoke with the man. The cops arrived later and took him into custody.
The man, whoever he was, remained with me. I felt bad that I let myself go with emotions. What that man needed was love and the assurance that he is a human. Someone like that is someone who chose crime because all other avenues were closed to him. It made me think of what Michael Jackson said when he said that the world needs more love. I am not saying to go hug every homeless person or every rapist. Some of these criminals are mentally damaged to the point that they need to go to correctional facilities until they are fit to be introduced into society. Some of these criminals are mentally damaged to the point that they need professionals to show them that they are more than the crimes they commit.
These ones that commit petty crimes are the ones that can be saved from a world of deeper crime in my opinion. They commit these crimes with a sober mind, motivated by either threats directed to them or feeling trapped to find some significance in life. That significance can just be the ability to buy a loaf of bread. When one watches documentaries of men who hijack women and women who sell their babies, the one thing that always stands out is the fact that they commit those evils, most often or not, in an intoxicated mind state. They are high on a substance or they are drugged first before going out to commit those crimes. It is in their sober states that they realise the atrocities of their actions.
In no way whatsoever am I advocating for the actions of those evils. Some crimes are horrible and terribly twisted. It makes sense why Lady Justice has her eyes closed as she carries her scale to weigh one’s deeds. It is a balancing act of the highest order to be able to love a criminal and give them a second chance. Only love can save a person’s soul. Some of these criminals will use that love against you. Others, it is the love that will enable them to change their lives.
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