Plea for Clemency in Biehl’s Death

As a South African, it was with great sadness that I read your July 9 article on the plea for clemency by the thugs convicted of the brutal murder of Amy Biehl in 1993. My sadness is not only because a young woman lost her life needlessly in my country, but also because the violence has not abated, even under the new government. Anyone who believes these men committed a “political crime” will believe anything.

When the African National Congress was elected to power, South Africa was literally crawling with reporters. Since then it seems as though the rest of the world believes Nelson Mandela has created heaven on Earth, and very little of what is really happening there now is being reported. Perhaps if these thugs go unpunished for the brutal stoning and stabbing of a young woman who sought only to help, Americans might just get incensed enough to have some unbiased reporters bring to light the atrocities that occur on a daily basis in South Africa.

DIANNE BAYLEY

Long Beach

I read your reporting on the Amy Biehl case. I admire the way the parents of Biehl handle the case.

Please know that crime, corruption and aimless, brutal killings on innocent South Africans (mainly old people living alone on deserted farms) are still part of our daily living. The statistics for jail occupation given by the department concerned are 137%. What does the government intend to do to solve this? They are building more jails.

Please visit the Web site https://www.robkaplan.org.za and see just one case of many that came to the fore.

ANDRE BARNARD

Bloemfontein, South Africa