Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa has suggested that the army could be brought in to help the police fight crime. Is this a good idea? Lindiwe Mlandu and Hadlee Simons go head-to-head…

Lindiwe Mlandu reckons that if SA is fighting a war on crime, it should bring in the army to do the fighting.

Let's compare South Africa's death toll to that of Iraq, bearing in mind that the latter is embroiled in a bitter war. Up to 18  487 people were murdered in South Africa between 2007 and 2008. In Iraq 9028 civilians were killed last year due to the war. What does this say about our country? Reports suggest that in 2007-2008 there were an additional 18 785 cases of attempted murder and if that doesn't scream tough action, then what does?

According to a report released by Interpol in 2000, South Africa was rated as the world's crime capital. The country was compared to other Southern African countries, Latin and North America. We came in at number one for the categories of murder, robbery and violent theft and we were number two in the category of serious assault. Little has changed since then.

Interpol concluded by saying that South Africa has high, but manageable, levels of property crime but an extraordinary level of violent crime. As much as people would like to believe that we live in a free country, it's not entirely true. South Africa is ravaged by crime. Everyone has directly or indirectly experienced crime and some have had to endure it over and over again. The collective psyche of the country is gripped by fear.

The new Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa's promise to deploy the army to fight crime is by far the boldest statement from the government about crime.

It's time to send a strong message to criminals that we will not be held hostage by them. Last week hijackers threw a bomb into a cash-in-transit vehicle killing a guard inside and injuring a person passing by. How does this differ from bomb attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia or the Sudan?

Criminals have proved over and over again that they do not respect human life and for that reason, we need the army to deal with them. Statistics show that the police have failed and now it's time to call in the big guns. Sure, no one fancies walking down a street manned by the army and their huge guns. But, if it can combat crime and save lives then it is worth it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Call in the army to fight these criminals. The government can monitor the situation and if there's any improvement then they can review the decision.

Hadlee Simons reckons that the army is not equipped to deal with the policing of civilians.

Who doesn't get uneasy when walking past a rifle-toting member of the SANDF? It has a tremendous effect on the psyche of many people. So why call them in to fight crime?

The military's primary role is to defend the country from an outside attack. In this way, Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa's proposal to have the military patrol SA's borders makes sense. But the military cannot be used as a police force for a number of reasons.

The most obvious reason is that army personnel are not trained to be police officers. They are trained for combat. And it goes without saying that the rules of engagement in conflict situation differ markedly from those in ordinary society. A certain level of collateral damage is acceptable and human rights come second to nullifying the threat.

Are we ready to hand over our freedom to the SANDF? Are we ready for a permanent state of emergency? Are we ready for the potential for abuse that the country witnessed under the apartheid government?

And what of our international reputation? Imagine the effect on the psyche of millions of visitors during the World Cup when they have to walk past assault-rifle carrying soldiers — doesn't send out a pretty image to the rest of the world, does it?

Contrary to what some would have you believe, the army isn't the best solution to the problem of violent crime. Mexico realised this and has begun a massive police training and recruitment programme to take the streets back from the army. Even in Afghanistan, the local police forces are being trained so that they can become an independent law enforcement unit and take over from the army. Better police training and recruitment is one of many possible solutions to the issue of crime.

Yes, South Africa is gripped by a plague of crime, but the army should only be called in when there are no other alternatives.

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