SOWETAN

The savage attack in Saulsville, Tshwane — where 12 people, including three children aged between three and 14, were gunned down in a shebeen during the early hours of the morning — should shatter any illusions we may still harbour about criminal impunity in our communities.

This brutal massacre is not only a horrifying tragedy for the families involved but also a stark indictment of systemic failures: a failure of law enforcement, of civic oversight and of political will.

That unknown assailants could brazenly massacre a group of people, adults and innocent children, in a gathering place and get away with it speaks to a society that has grown alarmed at the violence and the impunity with which it is perpetrated.

The proliferation of illegal firearms in SA reached crisis levels many years ago. Yet, despite repeated pledges by political and policing leadership, the supply lines remain intact. Gangs and crime networks operate with ease.

This tragedy forces us to ask whether the state, through its police agencies and regulatory arms, is willing to adopt a more robust and aggressive approach to dismantling the tools of mass murder.

It is no longer sufficient to condemn violence after the fact. We must demand preventive action: targeted crackdowns on illegal weapons trafficking, sustained disruption of gang networks and illicit suppliers and mandatory disarmament campaigns in high-risk communities.

But the problem runs deeper than firearm control alone. Equally alarming is what appears to be a lack of knowledge by local police that there was an unlicensed drinking venue in the area.

It is illegal for a licensed drinking establishment to remain open beyond 2am. The attack in Saulville was at 4am. Even worse, children were also affected.

This is more than a failure of policing. It is a failure of civic discipline, of municipal oversight and of social responsibility. The collapse of community order, the breakdown of oversight on unlicensed shebeens and taverns and the abandonment of zoning and safety regulations have all contributed to making such a massacre possible.

We must ask ourselves: do we want a public sphere where innocent people, including children, can be gunned down with impunity simply because they were drinking?

If the answer is “no”, then action must follow. The state agencies and communities must act together.

Let’s see frequent crackdowns — not just after killings.

Turning a blind eye to lawlessness does not preserve freedom — it invites chaos. It opens the door to wanton criminality and contempt for human life, as seen by the massacre in Saulsville.