Of anger madness and mob justice ruling the roost

Simbarashe Msasanuri
Bongoblast

WHEN I listened to one of Bongo Star Search 2009 finalists, Peter Msechu's song ‘Hasira Hasara’, I couldn't help but green with envy. For a moment, I regretted having failed to cast as many votes as possible for him to clinch the first spot, though something kept on reminding me that this guy is pregnant with talent.

I remember, his creativity and his stage performances and management, he always had something new to offer, and to me, he was more of a surprise package than a mere competitor. Though he was competing for honours at the annual event, Peter used this opportunity to launch his career by erecting a firm foundation that can easily catapult him to dizzy heights in the music circles.

I know Bongoland's music industry is rich and has a lot of talent to such an extent that invading it and leaving an indelible mark is only a preserve of those with raw talent, and I believe Msechu fits in that category.

His song, Hasira Hasara, despite wreaking havoc within the musical charts, gaining a lot of air play on different radio and television stations, it has a rich message. In this song, the singer warns the society that anger in most cases result in losses.

True to his message hasira ni hasara, because many people end up regretting after an uncontrollable bout of anger and having acted unreasonably due to what they term anger. I am still to get to that extent but I doubt if these people will be ignorant of what they will be doing. So many people, including children have died after being attacked by someone who after coming back to his or her senses, blames it on anger. I think these people will be looking for an escape goat, and end up blaming it on anger while in the actual sense they would have done it consciously.

Our media are awash with child abuse cases and in some instances, some children are killed in the process, but what is disturbing is that anger is always blamed for it. The story of a mother who used a razor blade to punish her son, she was accused of stealing 1 000/-, always boggles my mind. After the grievous bodily harm to the child, the mother even tried to conceal it and failed to take the child to hospital for treatment. After the cat was out of the bag, she blamed it all on anger.

I always wonder as to what kind of anger is that, that make people lose their senses and do something they always regret. Just like Msechu pointed out in his song, anger will always bring with it some losses and many people are forced to count their losses, that is if they are not jailed for their hideous acts.

With the rate of which children are abused not only in this country but the world over, it remains true that they are fast becoming an endangered species. They need protection because those who are supposed to look after and protect them have turned to be predators.

This is so despite the presence of measures taken to safeguard children's rights. Even the clamouring of activists, seeking to enforce and advocate children's rights cannot deter parents and guardians who think that children are their properties and they have the right to treat them in any manner they dim necessary.

Many people are not aware that the days when they used to say kuku kula mayai mwenyewe are over. Children have rights that should be respected. And, even anger should never be allowed to deprive these innocent children of these rights.

Still on children's rights, this week, Tanzania joins the world in marking the World Day against Child Labour to be held on 12 June 2010. This day aims to promote awareness and action to tackle child labour through out the world. I hope as a country we will be in a position to eradicate the cancer because I think this problem exists in this part of the world.

I have often came across children, of school going age, working in some dukas mostly in high density suburbs at a time they are supposed to be at school. Some people are also guilty in that they go to rural areas, get small girls who would have completed their grade seven and failed to proceed with their studies, and have them work as house maids.

This is child labour and should be looked into. In fact, it is against children's rights and most of these people do it oblivious of the law. It is everyone's duty, dear reader, to safeguard these innocent souls and above all let's contain our anger knowing very well that hasira ni hasara. Let's spare these children our frustrations. We know that the global economic crisis is biting but offloading your anger and frustrations on innocent children doesn't change your situation.

There is another growing trend in this country that whenever a thief is caught, wananchi rush in to mete instant justice. This has seen many people getting lynched and in some cases these people will be innocent. Yes the person may have done wrong, but, is killing him or her the solution?

We have had many cases of people being killed like that and upon trying to dig out the root cause of this, some people I talked to pointed out that, thieves especially bandits should be lynched to deter other would be thieves. They also argued that these people are ruthless when they invade people's houses and in most cases they don't hesitate to kill, and that is the reason, wananchi are retaliating that way.

Whenever a problem arises, wananchi are quick to take the law into their own hands and they become both police officers and courts. In other words, they arrest the person and sentence him to death buy stoning, beating or setting the poor guy ablaze.

It wasn't surprising therefore, when a group of nearly 300 villagers invaded Hedaru Police Station in Same District in an attempt to seize suspects and mete mob justice.

The incidents of angry mobs invading and burning police posts are on the increase and they present a time bomb of which if not curbed will cultivate a culture that will end up tarnishing the country's image.

What surprises is that these eight suspects could have died for nothing as the girl was letter found alive. It is a pity that people think that killing a perpetrator is a solution, not knowing that a person is innocent until proven guilt.

These villagers could not even wait for the police to do their job, neither did they give the courts of law the chance to deal with the case. Instead they destroyed property including three vehicles, that had been parked for safekeeping.

This behaviour has to be nipped in the bud before it becomes a norm that thieves and everyone believed to be on the wrong side of the law is lynched without being given the chance to prove his or her innocence.

I can't agree less with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema, who expressed concern over the growing lawlessness in the society where mobs lynch suspects and in some cases storm police posts and set them on fire.

This is counterproductive because the same posts these people raze down are vital elements of the society and I can't over emphasize their role in places they are established. This madness has to be stopped before it's too late. We should respect the sanctity of life and make Bongoland a good place to stay for everyone. God Bless you

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz