KwaZulu-Natal agriculture and environmental affairs...

KwaZulu-Natal agriculture and environmental affairs MEC Narend Singh called for the return of death penalty for serious crimes such as murder.
Singh made the call at the funeral of a Verulam farmer, Robin Govender, whom he said was active in the Farm Watch organisation aimed at tightening security in the farming community.
Govender and two of his friends were gunned down by five armed men while fishing on the south coast on December 5. Ronnie Pillay and Dan Pillay were also shot dead, while Kumrasagran Naidoo survived the attack.
Singh said the attack was a calculated, cold-blooded, callous murder of innocent people. "In my opinion, the maximum penalty in cases such as this should be death. I call on the national government to re-open this debate as to whether the constitution should be amended to allow judicial officers the discretion in imposing the death penalty where warranted," he said.
Singh added many ordinary South Africans were calling for the return of death penalty because they had had enough of being terrorised and brutalised and felt they were no longer being protected.
He said his department had been closely involved in initiatives to achieve farm security and had achieved some success. "But instances such as these show that we still need the ultimate deterrent."