It is not fair that South Africans have to live at the mercy of criminals while government spends R2.5bn on VIP protection for politicians and their families.
This was the message delivered on Monday by DA MPL and Team One South Africa spokesperson on crime, John Steenhuisen, to the family of slain Helenvale teenager Zavier Jassen.
Jassen was shot dead in what appeared to be an alleged gang-related shooting while walking with friends in October.
Steenhuisen was accompanied by DA councillor and federal council chairperson Athol Trollip, DA MPL Edmund Van Vuuren and ward 13 councillor Pieter Hermaans to Jassen's home in Helenvale.
Speaking to Jassen's mother, Carol-Anne, Steenhuisen said it was important for politicians to understand how ordinary South Africans were living.
"You have politicians here today who have not come with bodyguards but have come with a pastor because its important that politicians understand the conditions that ordinary South Africans live with every single day.
"With a government that is spending R2.5bn on VIP protection services and their families, I don't think it's fair that they are safe while the rest of South Africa have to live like the Jassens at the mercy of criminals," Steenhuisen said.
Steenhuisen, visited the Jassen's shortly after Zavier was shot and killed in October, and conducted an oversight visit at the Gelvandale police station.
"We don't want Zavier's death to have been in vain . . . because we can only imagine what he would have gone on to become," he said.
Trollip said an interesting aspect about Helenvale was that it was not always a violent community but was subjected to outbursts of violence.
"This is not a violent community, it's predominantly a peaceful place but every now and again it erupts in this kind of senseless violence.
"We can fix it because it's not 90% broken but [rather] a fraction of the time. It bursts and within an hour again, it's peaceful and people walk the streets," Trollip said.
DA's Steenhuisen visits family of slain Helenvale teenager
MPL comforts family of 17-year-old fatally shot in an alleged gang-related incident in October
Image: Supplied
It is not fair that South Africans have to live at the mercy of criminals while government spends R2.5bn on VIP protection for politicians and their families.
This was the message delivered on Monday by DA MPL and Team One South Africa spokesperson on crime, John Steenhuisen, to the family of slain Helenvale teenager Zavier Jassen.
Jassen was shot dead in what appeared to be an alleged gang-related shooting while walking with friends in October.
Steenhuisen was accompanied by DA councillor and federal council chairperson Athol Trollip, DA MPL Edmund Van Vuuren and ward 13 councillor Pieter Hermaans to Jassen's home in Helenvale.
Speaking to Jassen's mother, Carol-Anne, Steenhuisen said it was important for politicians to understand how ordinary South Africans were living.
"You have politicians here today who have not come with bodyguards but have come with a pastor because its important that politicians understand the conditions that ordinary South Africans live with every single day.
"With a government that is spending R2.5bn on VIP protection services and their families, I don't think it's fair that they are safe while the rest of South Africa have to live like the Jassens at the mercy of criminals," Steenhuisen said.
Steenhuisen, visited the Jassen's shortly after Zavier was shot and killed in October, and conducted an oversight visit at the Gelvandale police station.
"We don't want Zavier's death to have been in vain . . . because we can only imagine what he would have gone on to become," he said.
Trollip said an interesting aspect about Helenvale was that it was not always a violent community but was subjected to outbursts of violence.
"This is not a violent community, it's predominantly a peaceful place but every now and again it erupts in this kind of senseless violence.
"We can fix it because it's not 90% broken but [rather] a fraction of the time. It bursts and within an hour again, it's peaceful and people walk the streets," Trollip said.
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