Speaker and hon members, the sight of a man being manhandled by the police, handcuffed to the back of their van and the van driving away dragging him behind will be very hard for the nation to forget. With many communities already taking the law into their own hands, how can we be expected to trust the police when they also act no better than criminals?
The image of the police is in tatters, with communities across the country having very little faith that the police can do their jobs. From traffic officers demanding and taking bribes, rape victims being victimised even in police stations, and known criminals terrorising communities, people do not see the police as being on their side.
This has resulted in the widespread vigilantism in communities where there is a perceived lack of police commitment to reduce criminal activities. How can citizens be expected to obey the law when they are constantly let down by those who are supposed to protect them? Effective and practical steps need to be taken to ensure not only that the image of the police improves among the citizenry, but also that criminal activities are dealt with while the community works alongside the police to make their lives better.
It cannot be in the norms of people to live among gangsters and criminals while their children are in danger of being members or victims of these groups. Thank you.