What does it take to convince people that South Africa is not safe?

Question

Why do people (who claim to be from SA) keep telling others on Yahoo forums that South Africa is a safe country to visit and live in?
SA newspapers daily report more murders and atrocities.
Some facts about SA.
50 murders a day. A DAY!
53000 reported rapes a year. Estimated at least that number again is unreported. Many rapes carried out by HIV/AIDS positive males.
10000 white farmers murdered between 2005 and 2006.
Since Feb 2007; At least a dozen tourists attacked and mugged at knifepoint on Table Mountain. One of SA's prime tourist attractions.Tourist women gang raped on Durban beach. Tourists mugged on Durban beach. 32 coach tourists robbed by 3 thugs at gunpoint whilst having breakfast in Cape Town.
These are not isolated incidents!
Carjackings and in-car murders carried out on a daily basis. House break-ins and house murders carried out on a daily basis.
Violence against whites, in particular tourists, seems to be increasing.
Visit SA news websites like www.iol.co.za

I stand corrected about 10000 farm attacks equals 1600 murders.
Though it has been pointed out to me elsewhere that more farmers have been killed in South Africa than ever were in Zimbabwe.
Whilst the ANC may not be encouraging this they certainly seem to be doing nothing to stop it.
And like Zim white farmers are now being evicted from their properties and the farm given over to black landlords.'
This the very action that the world decries Uncle Bob in Zim doing!
If the ANC really wanted to protect the white farmers the simple solution would be to have the military patrol rural areas on a daily basis. As SA is not at war with anyone soldiers and helicopter patrols could be spared for this task.
And one more figure for those who claim SA is as safe as any other modern country. More people are murdered daily in SA than in Iraq.
More people have been killed in SA in the last 12 months than in Iraq in the same time period. Some of you may have noticed that Iraq is a war zone?

Answer 1

My aunt lived there (Johannesburg) and she agreed with you. When I was little she always told me how she'd love for me to come see her and how she'd show me all of the country when I was a bit older, but when I was a teenager she didn't want me to come over anymore, she told me it was way too dangerous. She considered moving back to the Netherlands, quite a few of her friends did, but she and her husband finally decided to remain there, they had their homes and jobs and felt they were too old to start over elsewhere again. But she never wanted me to come, she said it was a very dangerous country, we wouldn't have been able to travel around near as much, and mostly would've had to stay at her place which had a high wall, a security system and two dogs.

My aunt died about five years ago and I haven't really kept up with the situation these past years but that's what she always wrote me, there were things about the country she loved but she also felt insecure living there.

Answer 2

You are not going to convince some people that South Africa is not safe while they are busy trying to convince themselves that it is. Basic psychology. If you have to continue living in an unnatural environment you have to continue to convince yourself that it is natural.

There are many reasons why some South Africans do this (I won't speak about tourists, as it is one thing holidaying in S.A. and another living there.)
Perhaps the people can't leave - no immigration skills or overseas passport etc. Also family strings pull tight.

However you don't have to convince me and the other 1 million that have already left and the many other thousands that continue to leave every month.

I do believe that the travel industry are undoing a lot of hard work by genuine people trying to bring attention to the crime problem in S.A.
Why do people think that Mbeki finally acknowledged that crime was a problem in his "state of the nation" speech?
Why do you think that the African nations are finally going to meet to discuss Zimbabwe?
I can tell you not because of the bullsh!t cliches being posted by the travel industry (talk about blood money) or the denialist south africans promoting Utopiaville!

It seems that these are the people who would rather wake up tomorrow with no bread on the shelves and no petrol at the pumps?
But that is their issue and not ours, I for the time being will continue to tell as many people as possible about my experiences in South Africa and if I can create some awareness by doing so, that inadvertently puts pressure on the government to do something about crime, than at least I will have contributed something to my country and it's future.

Answer 3

I worked as a tourist leader for three years in Southern Africa. Between the groups I traveled around on my own. I had a great time. Never felt unsafe, only once wen I was in a bank that got robbed. In St. Lucia of all places. But that can happening everywere in every country. So I don't know what you are trying to prove, but I wouldn't stay away because your stories. Like in all other country's I've been I was carefull and didn't go out after dark or took a taxi. Didn't go to area's were I know it was not safe. But it depends were you are in South Africa how unsafe it is. It's a big country.

Answer 4

Because we WANT people to visit South Africa, not scare them away. How is this country going to improve without tourism?
So lie. And keep on lying. Maybe a few tourists will get lucky and come out of here with a good experience. Then maybe they'll tell their friends about it and encourage others to invest in our country.

Answer 5

My dear friend, I guess the country is like any other country. It has it's problems. How many Murders are committed in America a day. I am taking a group of children to soweto this July and just like if I were taking them to Harlem, I would be careful. I would watch my surroundings. South Africa has crime just like any other country but I won't let that stop me from enjoying the culture.

Answer 6

This is what you see and hear every day...

This: Hot Off The Press:

A Green Point family opened their front door to what appeared to be a uniformed policeman, but a trio of armed robbers barged in instead. They took .....Read On...Link>>

Ps. Hopefull pls read the news....Dont decieve the people

Answer 7

It's actually strange how people that visit South Africa once fall in love with the country and visit it over again. Like the 99% of the 2003 Cricket world cup tourists that said they would like to visit SA again - not to mention that 96% of local and international tourists said in a recent independent survey that safety isn't a problem in Cape Town. Pure common sense tells me that they feel safe in THE AREAS THEY VISIT. Obvisouly they don't wander around in townships at night.

Some people also try to scare off tourists to visit Cape Town stating that it's the city with the highest per capita murder rate in SA. But tourists visit Robben Island, the Waterfront etc. with a murder rate of ZERO. So they obviously feel safe and will visit it again (like the more than 1 million local tourists that CHOOSE to visit Cape Town per year - hmm... strange that they do it since they are going to be murdered on their arrival hey).

And what I also found strange is that people try to scare of tourists by referring to numbers. What about the this:

"In the USA 10,2 million property crimes, 16 692 murders, 93 934 rapes, 417 000 robberies, 862 000 aggravated assault, 2,15 million burglaries, 6,8 million larcency theft and 1,23 million vehchile theft, were reported to the police in 2005."

Hmmm... it seems as if the USA is more dangerous?? Lol, no, SA has a higher crime rate, but my point is stop using numbers. You prove absolutely nothing. And last comment... Where do you get the stat that 10 000 farmers have been murdered? It's 10 000 attacks of which +-1600 were murdered - extremely worrying it has to be said.

Answer 8

Not South African hey?
But another big mouth who knows more than the actual inhabitants of the country...you probably skipped the country and have your news website as the only way o get info...
Lets see, will they ever show anything good? I doubt it...they know that bad news makes for reading to everyone who's always expecting the worst out of the world... But they'll never make a mention of any of the developments being made (not on government behalf), but the determined normal South African on the street... Do they write about the women who start shelters, and take in the homeless? People who start support groups and help out victims of abuse, rape, HIV/AIDS etc...?
Programmes being set up to try help the unemployed get an education on starting their own small little businesses?
What little some business men try to do to sponsor schools in general or their sports teams..?
No! So stop painting such a bloody picture, RSA no utopia/Eden and I'm not going to pretend that its one...But I've lived 23 years without too much of a problem thank you!

Answer 9

I have been to countries that are on the warning list of the USA STATE DEPT not to visit and had a wonderfull time and a cheap holiday, i took precautions and never had any problems, South Africa is the same use your head and follow the local advice and everything will be fine.

Answer 10

I am glad I never paid attention to posts like yours and took my holidays in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana. South Africa has some problems. U.S. (where I live) has some problems. If you want to live with your head in the sand, go ahead. I would rather live and enjoy the sights of the world than sit around at home (where you falsely believe you are safe) and wring my hands while writing ridiculous posts like this one. Get out for God's sake and see the world before you post such nonsense. The world is a dangerous place. Live in it or hide in it. Your choice.

Zimbabwe is the country your write about that has had problems with the farmers being murdered and beaten. It certainly didn't start in 2005. Get your facts straight.

Answer 11

Watch it, I LIVE in Cape Town, J a I know crime is an issue, but where the f*#k did you get the statistic for death of white farmers? THATS ZIM YOU DOPE. Crime is a common part of any country. SA, has crime that is unplanned, it is random, New York for example has more than SA's amount of murders, (but new york has PLANNED MURDERSwhere people examine your house for days, planning exactly how to kill you) . Here if you are sensible, and dont go into dark alleys or whatever, then youll be perfectly safe. I have been here for 7 years, and im a teen, and I catch the train home everyday alone, and I have never had any incidents.

Oh and if you claim Im lying or dissing about Zim, I was born there, and moved here in 2000