Is SA the crime centre of the world???

[Maverick]

A few years back I heard the alarm going off from the house across the way from me. As usual I went to the window just to see not expecting anything more than a false alarm. I couldnt believe it - I saw the man who had tried to break in jumping the wall and trying to flee (obviously the alarm scared him away)....

I decided to follow him at a safe distance (prob stupid thing to do) while my mom called the police. I heard the police arrive and directed them to the man where they apprehended him.

After a few hours the police came back to my house for some more paperwork and told me this guy had JUST been released from prison!

Great, we caught him and back in jail then - or so I thought!

After a few months I was forced to spend an entire day in court to wait my turn to testify about what had happened.

I heard later that the entire thing had been thrown out of court because the owner of the house had subsequently died and there was no one to press charges Could the state not press a charge?

Well our man who had just been released from jail was free back on the streets. Thats justice for you.

[Mbali-sa]

Hi Stravinsky,

My advice to you is to arrange a preliminary visit, then decide if it is a place you want to move to. South Africa is a beautiful country and its unfortunate that the media just highlights on the crime and negative aspects only. I believe every country has its good and bad points and you are the only one who can decide..i am a non south african living in Midrand, and do practice the necessary precautions but that doesnt mean that i dont work, go on the occasional evening out or leave my house for that matter. Feel free to contact me, i also assist people to resettle in South Africa, mainly Johanessburg.

[Daxk]

Really, Mbali?? Vorna Valley,Noordwyk? Countryview? Blue Hills?
I lived there from 1979 to 2004, still have daily contact.
I'm so glad to hear there's nothing to worry about in Midrand anymore.

[webslave1]

Originally Posted by Daxk

Really, Mbali?? Vorna Valley,Noordwyk? Countryview? Blue Hills?
I lived there from 1979 to 2004, still have daily contact.
I'm so glad to hear there's nothing to worry about in Midrand anymore.

The fact is and you can check on this, the actual crime levels for gang related murder are five times higher in Cape Town, petty crime is quite low compared to other countries and in relation to London,New York or Moscow it is actually three to five times lower per 1000. Murder per 1000 is high but in reality the number is actually quite small. To think that there were according to the BBC and the metropolitan police over 100 000 violent incidents in London alone brings it into sharp focus. The whole of south Africa had just over 25000 incidents..

Not rocket science to work out the real truth. The fact that the South African media is owned wholesale by the Irish publishing company must have something to do with the slant in the local media - to get the local views you have to read trash media like the/die daily sun/son and in there you can get the local flava of the news.

I have regular contact with Chase Devonshire - a property & asset management company in exclusive London property markets and all the agents and negotiators they have, have their own way of looking at it.

I for one, when driving through London would never leave my car door unlocked and for that matter when taking a cab in London neither do the cabbies.

London has the worlds highest number of professional pickpockets so I would also never leave my valuables where they can be reached, its all about perception. I have seen more people being mugged in London than in any other city i the world yet it has a reputation for being safe.

[Daxk]

What are the comparative populations??

I would not go for a midnight walk in JHBG,London,Moscow, or Central Park NY either.
I could easily be a victim of a mugging in any of those Cities, wether i would survive is less likely in Jhbg than London.
Mbali raised the point about Midrand, which encompasses places such as Ivory Park and Thembisa but also quiet suburb's such as the ones i mentioned totalling around 20,000 Homes.
Mbali also called into doubt the veracity of the press in reporting crime.
and made out as if the whole thing is a storm in a teacup and IF you take care,you will be ok.
Thats Bull.
Now,if you really want to compare levels of violent crime, i'm happy to do so, kindly remove vehicular and pedestrian fatalities from the UK figures, they are easy to find.
Secondly,SA has a low rate of petty crime as if the SAPS cannot solve and convict 91% of the murders and 88% of the rapes, does anyone even report petty crime?( Source SA Law Commision on Conviction Rates)
In fact, I have beeen in a SAPS ploice Station reporting the abduction and rape of a 21 year old employee of ours, when it was suggested to her that she might as well forget it, they would never catch them,
I did report it, immediately,to the Station Commander, zero action, friend, and that was a rape.

I stopped reporting anything that's too much hassle years ago, am sure there's many more like me.

But thats not the issue, you can be a victim of crime anywhere, you can also spend 40 years in SA and never experience any crime, but, if you do happen to cross someones path and you experience contact crime in SA, its likely to be life changing, or ending.

You are trying to minimise the crime problem in SA.

[Daxk]

Hi Mbali, In case the midrand reporter does'nt cover this, The weekly Crome report from Eblockwatch for Midrand.

"Please note: this report is from 1 - 12 May
BURGLARIES & ROBBERIES


BURGLARY AT RESIDENTIAL PREMISES (HOUSE BREAK-INS)

PRESIDENT PARK/ GLEN AUSTIN
Anne Road (This was an attempted burglary - the victim fired shots at suspects), Steyn Road

NOORDWYK/ ERAND
Karee Street, Rooihout Street, Lever Road, Tamboti Circle, Mahogany Street, Chestnut Street, Ceder Road, Blackwood Circle, 8th Road, Bottlebrush Street, Boxwood Street

VORNA VALLEY/ HALFWAY GARDENS
cnr Dorneill & van Heerden, Jamie Uys Street, Summers Close, Old PTA Road, 3rd Road, Norfolk Street

CROWTHORNE/ BLUE HILLS/ CARLSWALD
New Road was hit twice, cnr of Tamboti and Garden Road

GLEN FERNESS/ KYALAMI/ BEAULIEU/ BARBERQUE DOWNS
Robin Street was hit twice and then the cnr of Swallow and Robin was hit - these all took place on the same day between 06h00 and 07h00, Ash Road, Mustang Street

RANJESFONTEIN
None were reported

HOUSE ROBBERIES

PRESIDENT PARK/ GLEN AUSTIN
Alsation Road was hit by 6 suspects.
Modderfontein Road was hit at 02h16 by 3 males armed with a pistol.
Hampton Road was hit at 21h30 by 3 males.

NOORDWYK/ ERAND
Cypress Road was hit by 4 males at 09h30.
Tamboti Circle was hit at 09h40. The suspects were diving a white BMW.
Pretoria Street was hit at 13h30 by 2 males armed with a pistol.
2 males driving a silver grey Honda Ballade were involved in a robbery in Acacia Street at 12h50

VORNA VALLEY/ HALFWAY GARDENS
Pierneef Street was hit at 15h00 by 1 suspect.


CROWTHORNE/ BLUE HILLS/ CARLSWALD
None

GLEN FERNESS/ KYALAMI/ BEAULIEU/ BARBERQUE DOWNS
Camargue Street was hit at 16h45 - no details are given.

BURGLARY AT BUSINESS PREMISES (BUSINESS BREAK-INS)

PRESIDENT PARK/ GLEN AUSTIN
None

NOORDWYK/ ERAND
None

VORNA VALLEY/ HALFWAY GARDENS
cnr K101 and Le Roux, James Crescent, Old PTA Main Road

CROWTHORNE/ BLUE HILLS/ CARLSWALD
None

GLEN FERNESS/ KYALAMI/ BEAULIEU/ BARBERQUE DOWNS
Silverstone Crescent,

RANDJIESPARK
None

BUSINESS ROBBERY

A robbery took place at a business in 3rd Road at 19h45. The complanant was held at gunpoint by 3 males (speaking Zulu with Zimbabwean Accent). Complainant was tied up for 2 hours and then taken around in a panel van to show the suspects the rest of the company buildings.

MOTOR VEHICLE RELATED INCIDENTS

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

A vehicle was taken from Vodacom Boulevard at 12h10
A Honda Motorcycle was taken in Gymkhana Street at 17h15
A gold VW was taken in 16th Road at 00h10
A VW Velociti was taken at cnr of 7th and 5th Roads at 14h00
A red VW Velociti was taken from Sanridge at 21h30
A silver blue VW Scirocco was taken at cnr of Bekker and Le Roux Drive at 13h00
An blue VW Velociti was taken from Midway Mews at 19h30
A vehicle was taken from Camargue Street at 16h4
HIJACKING/ CARJACKING
A white Nissan Truch was taken in Whisken Road at 10h45. A blue Jetta was involved in the crime. They forced the victim into the boot of their vehicle and dropped him off at an unknown location. The one suspects face was full of scratches.

A truck was taken in Garden Road at 08h45. The victim was dropped off on the N1 near the London offramp.

No details are given of a third carjacking that took place in Tonnetti Street at 23h00.

SMASH -'N- GRAB

A smash-'n-grab took place on the cnr of New Road and 16th Road at 18h45.

SERIOUS CASES

RAPE

None were reported

MURDER

None were reported

ROBBERY WITH FIREARM

A man was held at gunpoint in West Road at 20h15.

A victim was standing in a bank queue when he was told that he had dropped something at the door. When he went to look he was held by gunpoint and led to a white Toyota Venture with 3 males. They assaulted him and left him in the bush.

2 men were involved in a robbery in Swart Drive at 14h00.

A security guard driving a Ford Bantam was stopped by a red Golf Chicco and a siver Golf. The suspects were all armed and they stole the guards pistol.

2 victims were held at gunpoijnt in Anton Hartman Street at 19h45 while waiting for the house gate to open.

A victim was held at gunpoint by 2 males in Old PTA Rad at 17h55.

A red Toyota reg VXH 731 GP was involved in an armed robbery in Alsation Road at 13h00.

A white BMW 320 reg ND 362 was involved in a rebbery in Alexandra Avenue at 09h30. They followed a victim from the bank.

3 men held up a victim with knives and a bobbejaan spanner in Karee Street at 22h10.

A victim was held at gunpoint at 18h30 in Pavarotti Road.

[Mbali-sa]

I have no idea why you write on this forum especially Daxk, you must leave in Utopia where nothing bad happens...you seem intent to just discredit any information on South Africa..the expat forum is not to paint blood and fear to expats but to give them a realistic and pragmatic view meaning both good and bad points on places, wherever the place might be, Daxk on the other hand seems very bitter about South africa, really, give it a break, it is very tiresome...........

[Daxk]

DEar Mbali, the reason I post on this forum and others is because people such as yourself try and pretend that all is fine, that Crime hardly happens
and that the media sensationalise it, that there's nothing to worry about.
I'll quote your post:
" its unfortunate that the media just highlights on the crime and negative aspects only"
Why do I do it? Because only the squeecky wheel gets oil, the powers that be are not doing anything about it, and wont till it hurts more not to do something about it.
I have a mother Brothers,Sister, Brothers and sisters in Law, Nieces and Nephews, all in danger because the Government wont do their job.

If I was making it up,fine, However I only post what is verifiable fact.
you dont like the truth, tough.find and post real good news stories and unless they are obviously spin, I will not comment,in fact will even applaud REAL good news stories.
If not,Dont read my posts.

[Daxk]

And yes, Mbali, I do live in Utopia, I live in Ireland.
In Galway, in a beautiful home in the corner of a farm with no burglar bars, my gates are open, my garage has'nt been locked in 2 years, my daughter and her friends play in the fields,feed the Horses, ride their bicycles, we go for walks down Country lanes at night,
her Govt school has superb Teachers, when she goes to Uni one day(which is as free as her schooling has been,) she can do whatever Courses her marks qualify her for,when she works one day her success or failure will also not depend on her skin colour.
The Public transport,Postal and Police/Judicial systems work.
Health Care is straining but its mostly South African Doctors and Nurses
anyway and at least the new Hospitals that are being built are actualy being built.

She is growing up in a country that has a huge increase in crime this last year, Murders up 25%, yep, it is terrible, 17 more people got murdered than last year.
Aids is at 1.7% of the population,
But,there are bad points.
There is a reason Ireland is green.
It rains often, a soft rain such as you get in Dullstroom and Howick.
So I gave up some Weather that I could'nt enjoy except in a car for some rain.
Yes. Mbali, i do live in Utopia

[Mbali-sa]

Good luck to you Daxk in your utopic farm life in Ireland, lets hope your or your family are never a crime statistic there, then what? you will start on a tirade on the evils of Ireland???????
Further, we all live live where we live and changes come from doing something from within not from running away and spewing stories laced with bitterness off the sidelines...
And i will take your advice and not read your posts, hopefully no one else will either, seeing as you dont even live in South Africa in the first place!