For those of us who are lucky enough to own a vehicle and are allowed to drive in South Africa, why do we drive on the left-hand side of the road? Why do we indicate before changing lanes? Why do we maintain a certain speed in towns and a certain speed in freeways? It is the law.

Law makes us behave in certain and somewhat predictable manner – it aids in maintaining order, a crucial element of any society and without which, chaos reigns. Law is, therefore, a foundation of an orderly society. But law can sometimes be evil.

In Biblical Times, it was the law that called for the killing of all male babies born of Israelite women in Egypt. In our recent past, it was the apartheid law that was used to displace masses of black South Africans into pockets of homelands under the pretense of self-governance and determination. In the same period, it was the law that permitted corporate punishment for those convicted of serious crimes, including those fighting against the same laws of the era. It is a contradiction of note that the object behind law is maintenance of order, but the same law can be used to oppress, kill, and dehumanise. This is where it gets interesting.