As an aside to Americanmade: When is the USA making APPROPRIATE amends to the Native Americans?? That is a rhetorical question, by the way ....

Back on topic:
Yes, the crime is very bad. As a South African, it is not pleasant for me to admit that fact. I have been a victim of crime many times. Luckily, none of those cases involved any physical harm. When you talk to people - especially here in Jo'burg - everyone has been a victim or have a close friend/relative who has fallen victim. Just this week, my travel agent's partner was shot dead in her driveway.

Every day brings a new horror story in the newspapers. It seems to have no end and the perpetrators are getting bolder by the day. No-one escapes this and no ethnic group escapes the curse.

It is very hard to explain to someone who does not know the feeling. For example, my boyfriend travels a lot and every single time he leaves the house, I feel uneasy until I hear from him to know that he is safely at his destination.

According to those in the know, the residents of Jo'burg live in a permanent low level of trauma and paranoia. That cannot be healthy at all.

I do not want to go into the reasons for the crime, I am simply responding to the original poster who wanted to know if it is really that bad. Yes, it is, and it pains me to say so.