Luck Dube Murder

South African superstar Lucky Dube murdered senselessly in the mean streets of Johannesburg.

Lucky Dube was a reggae superstar who fought drugs, apartheid, social ills and poverty through his music. Lucky was gunned down by suspected hijackers on the evening of 18 October 2007 in front of his children in yet another senseless murder.

His killing has met with outrage from across the spectrum of people both within and outside South Africa. We hear from President Mbeki that we must all fight together against the scourge of crime in South Africa.

This is a bit rich really Mr President. Last time I saw you you were in a convoy with three Mercedes motor cars, guns out of the windows of the convoy, police clearing the way as you travelled the same backroads that I had just traversed. Like you really need to worry about crime Mr President. And just what gives with Mr Selebi and all the rest anyway?

Perhaps the best thing the citizens of South Africa could do is demand for all of our bigwigs to travel everywhere without bodyguards and without outriders and overblown security details that force the rest of us off the roads as you whizz past.

Perhaps it would also be educational for all parliamentarians, ruling party big wigs and bureaucrats to be forced to live like the rest of us. If the health system is so great then give up your medical aid and private health care and come and join the rest of us in living with what is mistakenly called the public health system.

If the educational system is so great then take all of your children out of private school and put them into the public school system, like everybody else has to.

Why should the rulers of our country, those who have benefited most from the freedom fought for by all South Africans, have better protection against crime if it is not a problem? Why do they need health insurance and medical aid if we have such a good health system? Why do they need private schools if they have reformed the educational system so well?

Until those in charge of South Africa can answer these questions in an open forum like this (and here I invite all and sundry to reply to me and I promise to publish any rational responses to these basic questions), until then all health, security and educational privileges to this sector should be withdrawn and withheld in memory of Lucky Dube. He would expect nothing less, I am sure, as a true man of the people.

Read Arthur Goldstuck's blog about Lucky Dube

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