All people are capable of committing crimes although most of us restrain ourselves.Yet crime is glamorised — from Al Capone to Robin Hood, from former gangster Gayton Mckenzie to career criminal Ananias Mathe. Even government officials who abuse their offices get a hero’s send-off — witness Tony Yengeni being carried to prison on the shoulders of some ministers. Visit such people’s communities and you will hear how legendary they have become courtesy of their criminal activities.

Criminals plead poverty as a justification for their actions and yet not all of them are poor and not all poor people engage in criminal activities. Greed and selfishness take precedence in these people.

Our local Kwaito singers seem to believe crime is another form of publicity — from Mandoza to Kabelo Mabalane, who recently proclaimed in a Sunday paper that “women were just piece of meat and sexual objects”.

Mckenzie continues to preach to people, especially our kids, about his gangsterism, which earned him a lavish lifestyle, while good people continue to struggle.

Are these the sort of people communities should continue to embrace? Or should they discard them?

Should the community not be listening to the Mandelas, Bikos, Geldofs, Bonos and Mother Theresas of this world?

Our communities need to be told that the heroes are those who can restrain themselves in times of hardship.

Finally, our country’s hard-earned money should not be spent on foreign criminals like Mathe. Our borders need to be highly regulated. The only foreigners I want to pay for are refugees and asylum seekers.

Society needs to know that criminals are our enemies, not our heroes.

With acknowledgement to Phillimon Mnisi and Business Day.