Daily Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, 21 June 1999

Mapogo launches own patrol vehicles

THE government should place more emphasis on corporal punishment as an anti-crime tool instead of relying on expensive prison terms, John Magolego, the leader of the alleged vigilante group Mapogo-A-Mathamaga said on Monday.

Magolego said hundreds of rural women and children were forced into crime every day because their breadwinners had been sentenced to jail for relatively petty offences.

"Petty criminals should rather be whipped or caned for their offences. It costs nothing and is far more effective than long prison terms, which cost the taxpayer millions and force criminals' families to steal just to survive," Magolego said.

Speaking after unveiling Mapogo's three new "anti-crime" patrol cars, Magolego said government should support citizen organisations such as Mapogo, which were bringing order to rural areas in Northern Province and Mpumalanga.

The patrol vehicles, two Toyota Ventures and a Toyota Corolla, are emblazoned with Mapogo's double tiger head symbols. They were bought with donations from the group's 35 000 strong membership.

They would be used in Mapogo's Jane Furse headquarters district and were the first of a planned fleet of rapid response vehicles, Magolego said. --AENS