Crime and investigation in the parish

It was like any other Monday. An unofficial holiday for some priests. And yet, it was unusual. My assistant, Deacon Elias Senona, called me, on a Monday. Strange indeed. It had never happened before.

Deacon Elias reported that some boys had seen other boys in the church premises with a cellphone and a camera. According to the informants, these goods were stolen from my car in the garage. But according to my recollection, nothing was stolen from the car. Actually I was in the vehicle when I received the news. So I continued to enjoy my free day.

As I arrived home at about 9pm, I found the deacon already asleep. When I opened the drawer the digital camera was not there. In another room another camera was missing. I called the deacon’s cellphone. I told him I can’t find my two cameras. At this time I was not aware that other items were missing.

So together with the deacon we went to the house of the informant, a boy of about ten. He was already asleep. The deacon requested his parents’ permission to show us the houses of those who were alleged to have taken our goods.

In the meantime I called a parishioner, Kenny Ginger Phetle, to accompany us in pursuit of our missing goods. Ginger is heftily built from lifting weights. He also owns a security company. He is a regular at Sunday Masses. I discovered that he is very good at interrogating suspects. In no time a cellphone was brought by a sister of the suspect. The sister had believed her young sibling’s claim that he found a cellphone in the veld.

The boy confessed that he had not acted alone. Ten boys were involved, only one of them a Catholic. By about midnight we had recovered all the stolen goods, thanks to the interviewing skills of Ginger. In all this adventure we received cooperation from the parents or relatives of the suspects. They all disapproved the wayward behaviour of their boys. The mother of only one suspect refused to cooperate.

All these boys were under 20 years old. With the last boy to be interviewed we discovered what had happened on Sunday afternoon. A Catholic boy had stolen the house keys from the deacon’s open window. The boys then went into the house and took all luxurious electronic goods.

A boy with a conscience visited the parish and informed the deacon. The parents encouraged their children to give back what they had apparently stolen. The boys listened to their parents. In no time we had solved a case which I am sure would have taken the police about a year to conclude.

Crime is all around us. The sad fact is that small children are becoming seasoned criminals. The police whom we met around midnight confessed that they are having it tough. They say in most cases parents defend their guilty children. Children are allowed to bring stolen goods into their households. Some Catholics are involved in crime. Our community is turning a blind eye on crime which is destroying the moral fibre of our society.

Both the villains and the heroes were young people. Where is Julius Malema, president of the African National Congress’s Youth League? He is in the papers for issues not directly affecting the young people of our country. If only Julius Malema could see the example set by Ginger and altar server Sandile Mpila. Sandile was accompanying us and giving us valuable information in search of the young rascals.

I see Catholic youth with younger people from all backgrounds leading the revolution against crime and unlawfulness ravaging our beloved country.

Crime is one issue that the ANC should be prioritising. Most of us are not so much concerned about which party luminary ends up being president of the country. It makes no difference. We appeal to the leaders to address issues which are in the minds of the voting public.

That is why it is important for all of us to start registering for the 2009 elections. According to expert opinion the ANC will win at the polls. But let us tell them “enough is enough”. Our Catholic youth does not have to wait for election results to start making South Africa a better place. Even if Archbishop Tutu is not going to vote, the youth must remember that they can change the course of history. The time is now.