Why commit crime?

Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa,  Surrey, BC, Canada

It is sad to read that a young man will spend nine and a half years of his life in prison because he used a knife to rob a man and stole $20 from the victim.

Lately we have three young men, neatly dressed with neck ties as they appeared in court for allegedly killing a fisherman on New Year’s Day, in a robbery that went wrong.

These are only two examples of the many different crimes committed in Fiji.

The million dollar question the Government and all Fijians should be asking is, “Why are our young people committing such crimes?”

Is it because they are unemployed and need money to survive daily?

We have been told of the big money that is spent to feed and cater for prisoners in Fiji and maybe, this is where the answer is hidden.

Fijians who cannot earn money because there is none available, turn to crime to survive. If they are not caught, they will find another victim.

If they get caught and are put in prison, the Government looks after them, which is what they want in the first place.

While the Government should be commended for its excellent work so far, I believe it should put more effort, even pay out cash loans to Fijians out of work, but diligently seeking for one.

The Government is helping out unemployed people who possess land and other resources that could be turned into an income stream, but what about the others who are plainly unemployed?

If Government is willing to spend big money to feed and cater for Fijians in prison, isn’t it more wise to spend money on them to be more productive before and not when they commit a crime and end up in prison?