[June 26, 2023] Rain is a frequent visitor in this area. One evening, I received a call from a friend, and he was clearly agitated. He recounted an encounter with the police where he was caught with a bag of illegal substances. My friend had a history of occasional indulgence, and the police forced him to call his drug dealer. When the dealer arrived, the authorities promptly arrested him, and my friend was instructed to leave.

Two weeks later, my friend called me again, bewildered by the fact that he had dialed his dealer's number, assuming he was behind bars, only to discover that everything was back to normal. Evidently, the dealer had paid a sum of R2000 to the compromising officers, and they let him walk away. It was disheartening to witness the erosion of our once-respected law enforcement.

Over the years, my friend experienced a couple more unsettling encounters. Once, he was stopped while riding in the dealer's car and directed to follow the police to the station. A conversation between the dealer and one of the officers resulted in their release. On another occasion, my friend witnessed the police pulling over his dealer, but wisely chose to leave the scene and head back home. Shortly after, the dealer phoned him, explaining that the police were in his pocket, requiring a monetary contribution to maintain the status quo.

These incidents gradually shattered my confidence in the integrity of the local police force. Should I share this story? Would it make any difference? It seems common knowledge that law enforcement often turns a blind eye to drug trafficking. If I were a police officer, would I stand up for what's right, potentially making myself and my family vulnerable, or would I succumb to the allure of a bribe, becoming tarnished, powerless, yet a little wealthier and safer, at least for the time being? It's a question that lingers as the area inches closer to a state of disintegration, where no place can truly be considered safe.