Support for 'kill the bastards'

2008-04-11 14:10

Pretoria - The Pretoria West Policing Forum has started a petition in support of deputy safety and security minister Susan Shabangu, it said on Friday.

"We need to bring (the) law back into the country. We support what the minister said," said the forum's chairperson Nagesh Chetty.

"What the deputy minister said was taken the wrong way by the press ... what she said is very true," he said.

This followed Shabangu's remarks at an imbizo in Danville on Wednesday.

She told police attending the imbizo to "kill the bastards" when referring to criminals.

"We started a petition yesterday (Thursday) in support of the minister. So far 100 people have signed it," said Chetty.

He said that the forum (which encompasses areas including the Danville and Hercules area) was hoping that one million people would have signed the petition by the end of July.

"We will then hand it over to the safety and security ministry as well as to the office of the president," he said.

He said the country's justice system was "inadequate" and that more police needed to be trained.

"I think our community needs to wake up," he said.

Meanwhile on Thursday the SA Human Rights Commission joined the Democratic Alliance in criticising Shabangu for her comments.

- SAPA