We said it on acid attacks; happy we have been heard

BY EDITOR

12th August 2013

Editorial Cartoon

In this very column ten days ago (August 2), we wrote: “It’s getting terribly worrisome. We have been witnessing a series of criminal incidents lately, particularly violent attacks on influential people and even ordinary citizens.

Several of the incidents have occurred in broad daylight at political rallies, in open streets, etc., at times involving the splashing of people with acid.

Last month alone there were two incidents of the kind – one on July 13 in Arusha in which Arumeru District Sheikh Said Juma Makamba was the victim; the other with Dar es Salaam businessman Said Mohamed Saad as the target.

In May this year, Sheikh Mohamed Omary Said was the victim in a brutal attack while on his way home in Zanzibar. Earlier in the year Sheikh Fadhil Soraga was the target; but there is also Mussa Tesha, who was hit during a political rally in Igunga District.

Our country, which has enjoyed decades of peace and harmony, should refuse to earn the disgraceful label of one have found acid attacks on people a weapon of choice in an undeclared war.
Why acid, if one may ask? Is it because it can be accessed easily, by anyone?
We ask this because, apparently, one doesn’t need a permit to be able to purchase the chemical. This is strange in that, for most lethal weapons often “misused” by criminals, one would need a permit to possess one.

But one can easily rule out the issue of accessibility on grounds that there are lots of real weapons out there whose accessibility does not call for need permits but yet again these people resort to the use acid.

Perhaps the effect acid has on people is what is slowly but surely making it increasingly popular among criminals. Or could it be that it is because many of the criminals have so far managed to get away with their evil ways?

We still sincerely believe that not only have our police and other law-enforcement agents most of the resources they need to stem this ugly tide but also they many have doing what most they could to get hold of the criminals concerned and ensure the law takes its course.

However, time is now for the agents and other relevant authorities to forge closer links with the citizenry in combating this rising wave of rare crime. Perhaps we could start by criminalising the unauthorised possession and use of acids and similarly dangerous substances – that is, except for chemists, scientists and the like for whom the chemicals are an integral part of their routine duties.

This would be to recommend that people buy or otherwise access the chemicals only after presenting special permits, and no one should say this is not impossible to implement and oversee.

Many countries don’t allow people to buy medical drugs without a doctor’s prescription; why don’t we move similarly in handling chemicals and other substances that have now been turned into lethal weapons?

We need to put this dangerous trend to a swift end, meaning we must use all legal means at our disposal to guarantee the public their personal safety. Otherwise, even pickpockets will easily access acids and further deny the citizenry peace of mind.”

Random acid attacks unsuspecting people in recent months, chiefly in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, have jolted police and the Chief Government Chemist (CGC) into action meant to tame the ugly tide. It’s cause for some optimism.

The two State organs have just announced what one might call a scientific strategy aimed at controlling the importation, distribution and sale of corrosive chemicals including sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids.

Since chemicals used in schools, factories and others can be purchased from local chemical dealers hassle freely, the CGC says the best first step towards ensuring that such chemicals don’t fall into the wrong hands is registering importers – complete with full physical addresses, the concentration of the chemicals, how the chemicals would be used, etc.

The CGC adds that sulphuric acid has emerged as the most commonly used chemical in the attacks, retailing at a lowly 3,000/- per litre. It is the very same chemical used to ignite car engines and can be easily bought at motorbike mechanics’ shops.

Given this scenario, controlling the retail sale of acids is bound to be especially tricky. It remains to be seen how plans to force people to have mechanics handle the acid part of vehicle care instead of having motorists buy the chemicals and use them later will work out.

Reviewing the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act of 2003 so that mechanics’ shops are barred from selling acids and other corrosive liquids could help. But this would not come to much, in our view, unless the changes include having more stringent punishment on acid throwers.

In Bangladesh, Cambodia and Pakistan, where the incidence of such crime was once alarmingly high, the number of acid attacks has since fallen appreciably after the introduction of much sterner punishment including life imprisonment.

We are not necessarily recommending this for Tanzania, but things are slowly but surely getting so bad that ‘smoother’ options may get especially rare. It’s food for thought for all of us. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN