Another week, another crime...

The South African Medical Association and our team at Eye Laser Clinic express our shock at the recent brutal assault on Dr Marius Pretorius by heartless criminals. Dr Pretorius, an ophthalmologist and member of SAMA from Vereeniging was assaulted at his home by ruthless criminals just over a week ago. His eyes were nearly gouged out in the process. It is our concern that crime continues to ravage the country unabated notwithstanding the renewed efforts by government to root out criminal elements. It is worse in that there is tardiness (perceived or real) on the part of the authorities entrusted with the power to investigate these heinous crimes. Criminals seem to act with impunity.

The assault on Dr Pretorius mirrors similar assaults on those citizens who have committed themselves to saving the lives of others. Doctors who remain in the country have a choice to leave the country in pursuit of safer areas of residence but Dr Pretorius chose to stay and serve our country and its people.

We hope that the perpetrators are apprehended and the maximum penalties are imposed on those responsible. We can only be happy that Dr Pretorius and his wife survived this attack. We call on all South Africans to unite against crime and deal with it with the joint commitment that it deserves. On behalf of our eye care centre, we empathise with the Pretorius family and also wish the couple a speedy and full recovery.

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