Mob Justice

Today is the International Day of the African Child. On 16 June 1976, thousands of black South African students protested the quality of their education and a law, which required they be taught in Afrikaans rather than English. As they marched through the streets, police barricaded their path and some of the students began to throw rocks. In response, the police opened fire and a massive riot broke out. Thousands of students were injured, and the death toll from the resulting riots is estimated between 200-600. The day is now celebrated to honor those killed in the Soweto uprisings and to recognize the rights of African children. It would be an understatement to say children in Africa don't have an easy life. Hunger, child labour, forced marriage, early pregnancy, beatings, FGM, limited education--the list goes on. Perhaps the most upsetting consequence is the constant exposure to violence these children face. Teachers beat their students to keep them in line. Husbands beat their wives and children. Children have witnessed the brutal wars that have ravaged the continent, often becoming soldiers themselves. There is a cycle of violence that forms, and public arguments quickly escalate into shouting and violence.
I have heard in the past about 'mob justice' -- the swift and violent response to any suspected crimes on the street. As it is hard to distinguish between the shouts that are merely expressive and those turning into mobs, I make a general rule to avoid both. This morning however, I became involved first-hand in an act of mob justice. Maybe I have gotten too comfortable with my morning routine or maybe I was caught off-guard by the absence of people waiting for taxis this morning. Either way, I must have let my guard down a little. When a van pulled up full of empty seats and nodded to our questioning "Town?", I was relieved to avoid the shoves and elbow jabs for the morning. As I started to hop in, I felt my bag get jostled. I adjusted it and turned to see a man behind me, crowding close. Since the normal method of getting in a shared taxi is to push and hope you make it, I was not surprised, though a little irritated given the lack of crowds. As I moved forward again, he pushed me slightly and I felt a tug on my bag, which I instinctively grabbed as I settled into my seat. In an instant, the man turned away rather than boarding the taxi and the man behind him shouted 'teef' while grabbing him by the shoulders and shoving him against the van. Thief. I double-checked my bag, but nothing had been taken and when the driver asked if I was okay, I told him nothing was gone and it was fine. However, even a suspected thief has broken the unwritten rules and within moments he was surrounded by a small crowd, all screaming and hitting him. I repeatedly told the driver that nothing had been taken and they should leave him alone. I wasn't even sure if he'd tried to take anything or if I'd just been jostled getting in. Then another passenger explained that he had a razor blade and had been prepared to cut the strap of my bag. He was a regular thief at that intersection and this wasn't the first time the people have punished him. I felt responsible and guilty for not doing more to stop them, but also unwilling to wade into that sort of violence. A police woman stood by watching as they continued to hit him in the shoulders and side of the head, and pulled off his pants to check for stolen goods. Once they'd found a set of keys in his pocket (not mine) they shouted and the police came over to intervene. I am obviously fine, though shaken by the role I played in the scene, however unwittingly. I am reminded to be more careful with my bag and more responsive to unnecessary pushing. But more than that, I wonder at how long the cycle of violence will continue.
This problem is not uniquely African, but it is widespread on the continent. Even minor disputes result in screaming matches when a simple apology might have worked. Surrounded by abuse and shouts, children grow up to replicate the same patterns. Violence is seen to be the only reliable method to force change in the government or to control protests by the citizens. Until this behavior changes, there is more which must be done to protect the children growing up in Africa.