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Laguna92688,
I am dodging nothing relevant to what this thread started off as. The key component to this thread is about safety in SA and in my opinion it is safe for tourists to visit SA. This feeling is not based on thumbsuck info, it is simply based on the very small amount of incidents that take place with regard to crime on tourists relative to the the total amount of tourists who visit our land. Furthermore these sort of stats happen all over the world. I am not here to debate walls around the SA or even the American president's estate as I dont believe it has anything to do with the original question to this thread and furthermore has absolutely no impact on tourism. The only part of "the wall" story that does play a role is the quoting of a R90m price as this is pure speculation and resembles some of the reports that one sees about crime as well as other media blown up stories. In finality may I remind you this is an African tourism forum and NOT a political one hence my not wanting continue with this thread unless it truly affects the original question asked in the thread. Very proudly part of the wonderful ((R))nation of South Africa |
Selwyn...this is relevant to the thread. Here is another report highlighting the ANC's outrageous response to the crime situation in SA (published today in Business Day). As a responsible South African, you should be criticizing Mbeki's lacklustre response to crime in which like everything else he blames apartheid. Some good friends of mine who were confronted by a gang of blacks on the beach in Plett will now never go to SA again-more loss to the SA tourism industry
A CONFIDENTIAL household and business perception survey conducted in Johannesburg has found that residents of townships and suburbs are equally concerned about crime. The survey by the Bureau of Market Research involved more than 3000 households and 750 businesses in the city's informal settlements, suburbs, formal townships and the inner city. Conducted last year, it found that residents and businesses felt that law enforcement and safety services were deteriorating. A similar survey in 2005 rated crime as the fourth most pressing problem facing the city, after unemployment, HIV/AIDS and housing. In last year's survey, residents placed crime as the second-biggest challenge, behind unemployment, while businesses rated crime as the biggest challenge facing the city. In 2005, they said unemployment was first, with crime second. A breakdown of statistics by area found concern about crime was the highest in suburbs, and that crime was one of the top three concerns for people living in formal townships and the inner city, overtaken only by unemployment and HIV/AIDS. Participants rated it as more important than housing, health care, migration and corruption. President Thabo Mbeki on Friday in his weekly online newsletter ANC Today stirred up the debate on crime, suggesting a link between racism and perceptions that crime was out of control, with a significant sector of the white population still living in fear of black people, and using crime as a justification for racism. Mbeki said, however, that he was not disputing that crime was "unacceptably high". "The fear factor has long been a feature of white politics in our country. For long periods, this section of our population has been subjected to the unimaginable terrors of 'die swart gevaar' and 'die rooi gevaar'," he said. "For this section of our population, every reported incident of crime communicates the frightening and expected message that -- the kaffirs are coming!" Meanwhile, national crime statistics show that violent crimes such as cash-in-transit heists, robberies at businesses, car hijackings and car theft have increased nationally, and that Gauteng is hardest hit by these crimes. A review of a recent six-month police operation in Gauteng, Operation Iron Fist, showed that such crimes were still increasing in the province. The confidence survey found that residents' confidence in Johannesburg was increasing but business confidence was declining. Businesses felt less safe last year than they did in 2005, and felt that their employees were less safe travelling to work. Relevant Links Southern Africa South Africa Crime and Corruption There was a perception among both sectors that government was less able to control land invasions and street traders. Perceptions on the performance of the metro police remained constant. Households were satisfied with municipal services, with respondents saying they were now being correctly billed. But the survey found that respondents did not feel the city was interacting or communicating with households and businesses about its plans and its budget |
Laguna92688
Wow! Are you sure that the people who confronted (whatever that means) your friends on the Plett beach were really black? Were they not straight forwardly put South Africans by any chance? My suggestion to you is that you be a responsible citizen of your country as best you can and let me decide on my own as to how to be a responsible South African thank you very much. I truly have better things to do with my time than answer your second hand reporting responses hence the shortness of this response which even though already mentioned twice before, I now will definitely not be responding to hereafter in this thread. Very proudly <b>AND SAFELY</b> part of the wonderful ((R))nation of South Africa |
Yes Selwyn they were black. It would be incorrect to call them South Africans because they may well have been Nigerian. Hopefully for you your dream ANC government will actually stop their racist comments about whites and start caring about fixing the crime problem before its too late and people will stop getting murdered by these thugs.
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Wavejourney, you didn't say "if a person exercises common sense and a reasonable amount of paranoia they will most likely not become a victim of crime"
You actually said "but you can avoid putting yourself in a difficult situation by exercising common sense and a reasonable amount of paranoia" Now if you meant the latter, I agree but what you actually posted implied that those who had been victimized didn't do one or the other. Selwyn, I only became aware of your connection with the industry because I happened to see one post that made a vague mention of it. How you think the average forum visitor would know it is beyond me. If Diamantina is still reading this, I wish she would post if she was aware of your professional interest and if she would have like to known about when considering your advice. I know I would. As for my error, you are correct I transposed I and am. To clarify, I am not suggesting people avoid SA because of crime. I have many SA friends who rely on tourism and I hope it continues and grows. But I also have many American and European friends and I want them to be safe when they visit South Africa. I feel the best way to do that is to make them aware of potential dangers so they can take the precautions they feel necessay. I did that with my posts about the problems at Table Mountain. Interestingly, the City of Cape Town agrees with my approach: "The City of Cape Town has a new policy to manage attacks on tourists, with tourist safety becoming an ever more critical issue ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The plan does not attempt to stop crime, which remains the job of the police. Instead, it seeks to warn of the potential dangers and then co-ordinates the efforts of all tourism-related bodies and communication with emergency services after any incidents. ......awareness remained "our greatest weapon". This was "warning tourists in a way that is not frightening, but practical"." Complete article here: http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?s...5647854C325306 You seem to resist input from non-South Africans but perhaps you might consider following their example. Tuckeg |
me and my wife have stayed in simonstown twice no problem. just remenber their are places averywhere you stay out of at night .
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Selwyn-I wonder if they were Black?!
Three Dutch tourists and their hiking companion were robbed on Table Mountain, Cape Town police said on Thursday. Inspector Bernadine Steyn said two men and two women, all believed to be in their 20s, were hiking on the mountain near the Twelve Apostles peaks around 3.30pm on Wednesday. The women and one of the men are from the Netherlands. They were attacked by two men on foot, armed with knives, and robbed of personal items including cellphones, wallets, binoculars, a camera and clothes. Nobody was injured and no arrests have been made. - Sapa |
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Some incidents have occurred in the Silvermine area, perhaps patrols on Table Mt. have forced the robbers to move:
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?s...5057565C425468 |
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