Famed economist Thomas Sowell of the Hoover Institution once said, “If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.” It is one of my favourite quotes by Sowell. It’s spot on. It's a quote that every South African leader should familiarize themself with.

South Africa is mired in a crisis of violent crime – the levels of violent crime that cannot be found in other emerging markets. During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first term in office, homicide rates skyrocketed in South Africa – from 35 per 100,000 people when Ramaphosa took power in February 2018, to 45 per 100,000 people today. These statistics are evidence that Ramaphosa failed to drastically reduce violent crime in South Africa during his first term in the Union Buildings.

In Botswana, our neighbours, the homicide rate is 11 per 100 000 people. In Namibia it’s 13 per 100 000. In Kenya, it’s 5 per 100 000. In Egypt, it’s 1 per 100 000. In Mauritius, it’s 3 per 100 000. In China, it’s 0.5 per 100 000. In India, it’s 3 per 100 000. Stunningly different from South Africa, and these are all developing nations. The source of the data is Our World in Data.

In August last year, the then spokesperson of Action Society, Ian Cameron, said that more people were being murdered in South Africa than in war-torn Ukraine. Ian was correct.

In war-torn Ukraine, daily death is about 45 people. Contrast this to South Africa, where 86 people are murdered daily. What a dismissal, catastrophic failure by our leaders!

On Mkhwanazi’s policing style

The comments above lead me to my opinion on policing style of Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the police commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The man is hard at work hunting down criminals.

Mkhwanazi is now being chastised by some for his confrontation and shootings with violent criminals in KZN. In the past year, KZN has had a series of shootings between the police and criminals, leaving criminals dead.

The shootings prove that criminals choose war and are prepared to die for their cause. They shoot the police because they want to kill the police and get away with their criminal deeds. The view by some South Africans that the police should be soft on violent criminals who are trying to kill the police is absurd. The police men and women are also human beings, with spouses and families. Should they really prioritize the lives of criminals shooting at them? This view makes zero sense.

Part of the problem – and it's a problem in many democracies around the world – is the widespread thinking that criminals are people who lack the ability to make rational decisions. Untrue.

This thinking poses grave danger to communities. Criminals are also rational, make choices to achieve maximum payoffs. Being a criminal does not mean that you are mentally disabled. What it means is that you have chosen criminal activities. You had alternatives and then you opted for crime, because crime produces a higher payoff for you.

When criminals shoot at the police during an encounter, they are shooting to kill and it’s a choice they've made. In that circumstance it’s appropriate for the police to shoot back. Actions have consequences. South Africa's violent crime can only be reduced by strong law enforcement.

When President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador took power in June 2019, he inherited a country run by gangs. El Salvador was one of the dangerous countries in the world. In his words, commenting on Haiti’s violence and collapse of the state this year, Nayib said, “We saw similar images in El Salvador a few years ago. Gangs bathing with the skulls of their victims.”

There was no way Bukele was going to succeed in in the fight against violent criminals in El Salvador were he soft on criminals.

Bukele realised from the beginning that achieving safety in El Salvador would take a war against criminals. Last year, El Salvador’s homicide rate fell by 70%. What an achievement!

Mkhwanazi should be supported by every South African. Herman Mashaba, leader of Action SA, has commended Mkhwanazi. Hopefully the commendation will motivate Mkhwanazi to keep up the good work. Other provinces should copy Mkhwanazi’s strategy on policing.

What has been fascinating to watch is the positive public reaction to Mkhwanazi’s handling of violent criminals in KZN. Judging by what I see in the media, people want Mkhwanazi to continue with his policing style.

The positive reaction is not surprising. Millions of South Africans, including me, have been affected by crime. We have had traumatic experiences.

Fighting crime effectively will help restore South Africa's reputation that has been tarnished around the world. The safety of South Africans must come first.

What I find problematic with Mkhwanazi though, are his views on gun control laws. Mkhwanazi believes stricter gun control laws will curb crime in South Africa.

In my book Lessons from Past Heroes, I argue that more gun control laws are not needed in South Africa, and are no solution. We already do have stricter gun laws, the government just needs to be effective in enforcing them. There should be no goal to disarm law-abiding citizens – the goal must be to disarm criminals. Law-abiding citizens have the right, must have the right, to defend themselves.

The next commendation to Mkhwanazi should come from President Ramaphosa. It would be a good gesture, showing that his ‘government of national unity’ wants safety for South Africans and does not tolerate crime.

Phumlani M. Majozi is author of a new book “Lessons from Past Heroes” and a macroeconomist and political analyst. He’s the host of The Phumlani Majozi Show on YouTube. Subscribe to his show here: Phumlani M. Majozi - YouTube.