HEADLINE:   BRUTAL EXECUTIONS

PUBLICATION: Cape Times

PAGE NUMBER: 11

AUTHOR:     Zubeida Jaffer

DATE:       2002-06-26 07:23:12

BRUTAL EXECUTIONS

State has failed to protect its

citizens, time is running out

Zubeida Jaffer

In the early hours of Monday morning, murderers slunk into my brother's petrol station and shot all five petrol attendants in the head.

In circumstances unknown to us or their families, five young men, the entire night shift of Jaffers Motors, were mowed down.

Alfred Nyumbeka, 30, was to marry his sweetheart soon. Thobani Bashi, 21, came to take over the morning shift and learnt that his only brother, Saziso Bashi, 24, was dead.

Sibongile Same, 28, Julius Mjali, 37, and Zukisani (Arthur) Ngxumza, 23, are all no more.

The government is primarily responsible for the safety of its citizens. At this very basic level, it is failing us over and over again. 

We know that many strides have been made but the time is running out for platitudes. 

I am very proud of our achievements in this country and there are many. What we must not forget, however, is that we were guided for many years by the values of the Freedom Charter. One of the first maxims of the charter is that there shall be houses, comfort and security for all.

We suspect that this was a gang killing  - some gangsters who wanted to prove their gang status by producing dead bodies. But this is pure speculation.

What requires no speculation is that we cannot afford the squabbling of political parties. We need to quickly reach the situation where we all combine, irrespective of our political differences and solve the very pressing problems facing all of us.

Yesterday, I had to hold grown men as they cried when they realised their sons were dead. 

Their sons earned their daily bread in one of the richest industries. The oil companies, with the approval of the government, stipulate rules for petrol dealers and their attendants, and yet appear not to give prime consideration to concerns they raise about their working conditions.

They structure deals with petrol dealers that oblige them to open throughout the night for minimal profit. They oblige them to pay cash for every tanker of petrol that pulls into their driveways. 

They make it impossible for petrol dealers to provide decent benefits to their workers. 

They are perceived not to take the security concerns of dealers very seriously. Instead they argue that this is not their responsibility but the responsibility of the individual dealer. But they sit pretty because they have already taken the cash up front. Each time the tanker pulls up, they have to have cash in the bank of about R100 000 to be debited to the oil company on that day. They do not give these dealers seven days or 14 days or one month to settle their debts.

I hope that these five men have not died in vain. It's hard to believe that the government and the oil companies together do not constitute a big enough force to bring security to our citizens.

Petrol dealers ought to hold both the government and the oil companies accountable for a decent, safe, business environment.

Let the one not pass the buck to the other. The oil companies should no longer feel comfortable to make their profits on the dead bodies of young men like Zukisani, Alfred, Saziso, Julius and Sibongile. 

Shell has granted Jaffers Motors permission to close its business at night for the next three weeks. If these companies are serious about caring for those who make their profits, they should allow all dealers to close their businesses at night for the next three months to ensure the safety of their staff. 

They should carry the cost of such closure and use this time to join the dealers, petrol attendants and the police to put in place a proper system that will safeguard the lives of those who rake in their profits.

l Zubeida Jaffer is a freelance journalist