Cheers, South Africa
Yeah, I know you've probably popped in here for your lighthearted Monday morning entertainment fix - and that will be coming in time - but please bear with me. First up is a personal South African socio-polital rant, because, really, I need to vent.
Last week, the annual South African crime statistics were released. Of course everyone was outraged at the shocking figures, but few were surprised at the dramatic surge in violence.
This figure, after what happened to Paul's family earlier this year, grated me the most... because there can be nothing more devastating than to be threatened and assaulted in your home - your personal, private, "safe" space.
Robberies at residential premises increased by 25.4%.
Another article had this to say, about South African criminals' bizarre, psychopathic preference for violent armed robbery over burglary:
It was a sad reality that the more people increased security measures, the more likely it was for murders and violent crime to occur. This was because robbers then found it easier to access homes and premises when people were present.
People often disarmed their alarm systems and other security measures when they were in the home and only switched them on again on leaving or going to sleep.
So, yes, by protecting ourselves, we're to take the blame for violent crime's increase?!
Anyway, to put some more faces to the statistics, on Friday morning my father was attacked at home (for the record, the last time we had any theft attempts on our property was 2005).
My mother and grandmother had gone out for tea and most likely the asshole thief, seeing the car leave, thought the house was empty. My father, out in the garden to investigate why our dog was barking, spotted someone walking in the courtyard where our washing hangs.
My father (one of those rare moral "good guys" who will tackle muggers on a stranger's behalf) rushed into the yard with his usual big stick and found a big black man, in his late 30s, standing on the steps that lead up to my gran's one-bedroom granny flat. The thief had a blunt dinner knife in one hand and his shoes in the other.
Originally we thought he was there to steal washing off the line, but with hindsight we now think he was intending on using the knife to shimmy open locks, and break into our house.
My Dad yelled at the thief and tried to hit the knife out of his hand. But at that point the club was tugged from my father and used against him. With a blow to the side of his face, my Dad went flying. The thief kept trying to hit him, getting caught up in the washing line - which probably saved my father's life.
Somehow my Dad managed to get up to his feet. The thief was waving the knife back and forth in his face, telling my father how he was going to kill him.
Then the thief seemed to change his mind, and demanded whatever my father had in his pockets - in this case a hanky, driver's license and credit card. My Dad handed over the credit card and then snatched it back - the thief seemed confused about what it was.
The struggle then shifted to the garage, with my father bolting through the side door and pulling it shut in the thief's face. The thief attempted to yank it open and get to my father, but eventually gave up and fled.
At this point my father activated the alarm and called the police. By the time he ran out again, the thief was gone - presumably having jumped the wall or gate.
The police came and my father gave them a good description of the man (clearly an opportunistic amateur and not part of an organised gang). Nothing has, of course, come of it. My mother rushed my Dad to the hospital to be checked out, and X-Rays showed that apart from a hairline fracture on his thumb, bruises and some minor scratches, he's fine.
So, yeah, this incident has solidified my resolve - and you know I don't make empty promises. In April/May 2009, I'll be leaving this country for good...
With a date attached, a dream now becomes a goal.
Where I'm going I have yet to decide (the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada), but really, right now, I don't care. I want out. Everyone always rants and raves about how great the quality of life is in South Africa - with its open spaces, sunshine and cheap domestic servants - but it's time to face up to the fact that our freedoms have been irrepairably compromised. And combined with rapidly crumbling service delivery, and truly corrupt, self-obsessed, "pass the buck" politicians, it will only continue to get worse.
What quality of life is there when you lock yourself into a self-erected prison (complete with thick bars, and barbed wire) every evening, and are afraid to go out into your own garden? There is no way in hell I'd raise a family here.
My only wish is that, like family friends of ours, my whole family would leave with me. I really don't want to have to worry about them from afar. Hearing the news of the attack while I was sitting at work (just 20km from home) was frustrating enough...
Last week, the annual South African crime statistics were released. Of course everyone was outraged at the shocking figures, but few were surprised at the dramatic surge in violence.
This figure, after what happened to Paul's family earlier this year, grated me the most... because there can be nothing more devastating than to be threatened and assaulted in your home - your personal, private, "safe" space.
Robberies at residential premises increased by 25.4%.
Another article had this to say, about South African criminals' bizarre, psychopathic preference for violent armed robbery over burglary:
It was a sad reality that the more people increased security measures, the more likely it was for murders and violent crime to occur. This was because robbers then found it easier to access homes and premises when people were present.
People often disarmed their alarm systems and other security measures when they were in the home and only switched them on again on leaving or going to sleep.
So, yes, by protecting ourselves, we're to take the blame for violent crime's increase?!
Anyway, to put some more faces to the statistics, on Friday morning my father was attacked at home (for the record, the last time we had any theft attempts on our property was 2005).
My mother and grandmother had gone out for tea and most likely the asshole thief, seeing the car leave, thought the house was empty. My father, out in the garden to investigate why our dog was barking, spotted someone walking in the courtyard where our washing hangs.
My father (one of those rare moral "good guys" who will tackle muggers on a stranger's behalf) rushed into the yard with his usual big stick and found a big black man, in his late 30s, standing on the steps that lead up to my gran's one-bedroom granny flat. The thief had a blunt dinner knife in one hand and his shoes in the other.
Originally we thought he was there to steal washing off the line, but with hindsight we now think he was intending on using the knife to shimmy open locks, and break into our house.
My Dad yelled at the thief and tried to hit the knife out of his hand. But at that point the club was tugged from my father and used against him. With a blow to the side of his face, my Dad went flying. The thief kept trying to hit him, getting caught up in the washing line - which probably saved my father's life.
Somehow my Dad managed to get up to his feet. The thief was waving the knife back and forth in his face, telling my father how he was going to kill him.
Then the thief seemed to change his mind, and demanded whatever my father had in his pockets - in this case a hanky, driver's license and credit card. My Dad handed over the credit card and then snatched it back - the thief seemed confused about what it was.
The struggle then shifted to the garage, with my father bolting through the side door and pulling it shut in the thief's face. The thief attempted to yank it open and get to my father, but eventually gave up and fled.
At this point my father activated the alarm and called the police. By the time he ran out again, the thief was gone - presumably having jumped the wall or gate.
The police came and my father gave them a good description of the man (clearly an opportunistic amateur and not part of an organised gang). Nothing has, of course, come of it. My mother rushed my Dad to the hospital to be checked out, and X-Rays showed that apart from a hairline fracture on his thumb, bruises and some minor scratches, he's fine.
So, yeah, this incident has solidified my resolve - and you know I don't make empty promises. In April/May 2009, I'll be leaving this country for good...
With a date attached, a dream now becomes a goal.
Where I'm going I have yet to decide (the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada), but really, right now, I don't care. I want out. Everyone always rants and raves about how great the quality of life is in South Africa - with its open spaces, sunshine and cheap domestic servants - but it's time to face up to the fact that our freedoms have been irrepairably compromised. And combined with rapidly crumbling service delivery, and truly corrupt, self-obsessed, "pass the buck" politicians, it will only continue to get worse.
What quality of life is there when you lock yourself into a self-erected prison (complete with thick bars, and barbed wire) every evening, and are afraid to go out into your own garden? There is no way in hell I'd raise a family here.
My only wish is that, like family friends of ours, my whole family would leave with me. I really don't want to have to worry about them from afar. Hearing the news of the attack while I was sitting at work (just 20km from home) was frustrating enough...
Comments
Lagging much futher behind as my only other reason to leave is that I feel democracy is taking more and more of a hit - the government seems to just ramrod into legality whatever it wants, with judges and the constitutional court in its back pocket. Case in point: Durban street name changes going ahead with no reason given by the judge for his decision. This after MASS demonstration against the proposed names which were sneakily pushed through by the municipality.
Politicians just seem to be on a power trip while doing bugger all that matters for real people. All they are good at is making excuses as to why they "deserve" to keep their positions despite massive failings.
Meanwhile South Africans are getting increasingly shafted in terms of service delivery. Eskon. Telkom. Bank charge rape. Etc. Etc.
For the record, I'm not leaving because of money or career opportunities - I'm comfortable where I am.
Everyone says how South Africa is really pretty and its so beautiful... I have traveled all over and I can honestly say most places I have been have also been really pretty and so beautiful.
Unfortunately I think most governments are corrupt, but at least the population are still safe. And don't give me shit about terrorism, we've had that for long enough except when it stopped we made the terrorists politicians and gave them cushy jobs.
The problem is that in our society everyone is looking for work and those in politics who do get jobs are there to earn a living, and do not want to upset the apple cart by fixing the problems of everyone else for fear of loosing the vote and being chucked out.
I'd be interested to know if there are any people in government worth voting for. I don't think I know what any of the policies are of any of the parties, even then its all talk.
My folks were also attacked in their home a few years ago, and though thankfully they're ok, it really is absolutely infuriating and enraging when it happens to someone you love.
I totally understand and agree with the points you raise. Recently I interviewed a councilor of an upper class part of the city here in Joburg on the eve of her departure to Australia. This was a women who I've dealt with extensively as a reporter, who really has tried to handle some of the corruption and ineptitude in the government, and her attitude was "Quite frankly, incompetence and corruption are now the order of the day, true safety and security has just become too much of a rarity, and government just couldn't care less."
I am not in fact a pessimist, but I have to agree with her. Until our society isn't being overrun by sicko's for whom life is cheap, like the one that attacked your dad, what good is sunshine if you may not be alive to enjoy it?
As an aside - I'm just curious how come the US isn't on your list of possible places to move to?
Ryan
My mother is British so I'm fine for England, and that heritage and passport stands me in better stead for moving to former British colonies.
What about holding dear a personal conviction that our country, South Africa, is better than all those other countries you mentioned?
What about believing that things are going to get better because you're going to help to make it better?
Do you know that none of the countries you mentioned care about Africa? None of them are particularly interested in doing business with Africa.
But China is. China will soon become the biggest investor in Africa.
The First World Western countries play political games with Africa. In order to trade with them, African countries have to jump through their hoops.
China holds no hoops out to Africa.
Security wise, I think it's safer to be in SA. Our foreign relations with other countries is for the most part non-confrontational. I believe that Israel is the only country we are critical of.
In the event of a world war breaking out, South Africa will very likely declare itself to be neutral.
The continent is so corrupt it is very easy to pay off people in government to acquire those resources, there is no need for hoops when you offer a vehicle to the people in charge. Just look at Zimbabwe.
We had very good relations with Israel in the past with lots of technical development and co-operations. The critical look on them is something new.
I am also of the opinion we would remain neutral in a world war, the thing is it will likely be fought in Africa over resources no one else has.
And they are willing to trade legitimately for them. Contrast this with Western First World countries who did not want to buy them - they colonised Africa and raped this continent.
The Boer War , for instance, was fought by the British Empire for no good reason other than they were being locked out of the lucrative economic opportunities afforded by the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in the Boer Republic of Transvaal.
I reject your Eurocentric classification of Africa as "so corrupt". Where is your loyalty to Africa?
Honestly, if you are not loyal to this continent, then I wish you bon voyage.
Your view of Africa appears to be so jaundiced that you are willing to spew any lie to bolster your weak argument.
China's negotiations with Africa are all above board, despite your attempt to cast aspersions on them.
A world war is unlikely to be fought in Africa. The Western nations want more oil in direct competition with China whose growing economy demands more oil.
The countries most likely to go to war are China and the United States, in my opinion. The US holds an illogical stance towards the Island of Formosa (Taiwan). They refuse to allow China to retrieve their renegade province. For what good reason, is not immediately apparent.