Spike in KZN gun violence shows 'normalisation of violence'
The recent spike in
deadly gun attacks in KZN points to, among other things, the normalisation of
violence in society as a way of handling problems.
That's according to the director of the International Centre of Nonviolence at the DUT, Crispin Hemson, who's been commenting on the recent rise in shootings that rattled communities in parts of the province.
Last week, seven people were shot and wounded during a business robbery in the Durban CBD.
In KwaMashu two guards were gunned down, and at a taxi rank in Port Shepstone, four people were killed.
READ: Security guard shot dead in Durban
Hemson has highlighted unemployment and the struggle for power as factors that contributed to gun violence.
"And then we have a stall of resulting problems which is long established in this province. Another factor is this kind of masculinity which is competitive and full of bravado.
"Having it based in a time that has a history of trauma and aggressiveness which is damaging to people. We never as a province dealt effectively, with immense disruption and trauma caused by political violence, especially in the mid to late 80s and early 90s. That's another factor."
