On January 19, former rugby strongman Louis Luyt, who...

On January 19, former rugby strongman Louis Luyt, who now heads the Federal Alliance, said crime was reaching crisis proportions in South Africa and challenged the statistics released by Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi's office, which pointed to a decrease in crime. He asked for his resignation and called for the urgent reintroduction of the death penalty for crimes such as murder, rape and armed robbery. "It is time that the Government accepts that human rights cannot only be extended to criminals, but that every citizen has the right to basic protection, which this Government has failed dismally to provide," Luyt said. "We need to adopt a zero tolerance towards crime and not be concerned about the rights and privileges of prisoners."