Not a day passes that I do not read one bizarre statement or another from this or that minister.

Take the following for instance. It is now reported that the government plans to set up a special guard squad to provide security to VIPs.

What about the non-VIPs? Must we fend for ourselves? Why pay taxes and rates then?

The report also admits that the police are 'understaffed and bogged down with so much work.'

What work, may I ask, when the incidence of crime seems to be increasing, when robbers operate in broad daylight, when traffic policemen are virtually non-existent, and when traffic rules are flouted blatantly?

More and more housing areas are taking the law into their own hands and engaging their own security companies.

The deputy minister goes on to say inanely that: 'Criminals nowadays do not select their victims and act when an opportunity arises.' I should nominate this quote as the most profound statement of the year.

What is the deputy minister implying? That criminals should select non-VIP homes and not attack VIP homes?