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African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula has sparked controversy by vowing to
take a hardline, uncompromising approach towards criminals if his party forms a government.
Speaking at an ATM regional rally in Soweto on Sunday, Zungula stated, “Under the ATM, a criminal
will be afraid to think they can succeed as a criminal. Under the ATM, be rest assured the law will say
‘nja’ [dog].”
He went on to criticize current policies, saying, “We are not going to be playing sweetheart with
criminals. We are not going to protect people who do not respect the right to life for others.”
Zungula’s comments come after Police Minister Bheki Cele released crime statistics showing 7,710
murders from October to December 2023, a year-on-year increase.
The ATM leader vowed to reintroduce the death penalty abolished in 1995, citing Botswana as an
example where “no one is complaining about criminals.” He advocated for police having free rein to
use lethal force, saying, “If your life is under threat by a criminal, do not shoot the leg or up in the
sky, erase that thing.”
Zungula dismissed human rights concerns for criminals, stating, “We can’t be thinking about human
rights for criminals.”
In addition to his tough-on-crime stance, Zungula outlined other ATM policies like expropriating land
without compensation, providing every home with a farm for food security, and reindustrializing
South Africa to create jobs by reducing imports.
While his supporters may back the hardline rhetoric, critics are likely to condemn any proposal to
undermine constitutionally protected human rights or due process of law.
