Unexpected EXPOSURE
Firstly, I'd like to thank IOL for the exposure so far. I went out after posting the blog this morning and I already have 400 comments.As you can imagine I haven't had time to read all of the comments so far, but I have browsed through and found out that there are a few people who, like me, disagree with the new web site. There are also others who are against what I am doing. I expected that.
Firstly, yes I am young. People seem to think I know nothing. They say I'm just a kid, or, to quote "Ignorant kids like you are the first to leave the country when crime hits you ONCE."
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have been a victim of crime. I was mugged in Cape Town at knife point. I'm still here. I was also mugged in Swaziland. Now, I know what the Neil Watson's amongst you are thinking. "Dark Africa, terrible. Australia is our only answer." I may be twenty, but I have felt threatened on the Metro in Rome and the Underground in London. Who goes on the underground half an hour before it is closing? It's dangerous. I'm not here to diss other countries. South Africa has problems, but a web site devoted to gore is not the way forward, and furthermore, marketing the website to international news agencies is suicide for tourism in South Africa. I mean, crimexposouthafrica.co.za has a cemetery. What is that all about?
I need to try and read some comments so I'll close this post now. Thank you to everyone who has made a comment, good or bad. It's all good in my opinion. I'd also like to thank the people who have offered me free domain hosting. I'm not sure how this all works, but I'll be in contact.
posted by Addy @ 3:42 pm
13 Comments:
It's funny how http://www.crimexposouthafrica.co.za/ tries to make crime look bad by publishing news
headlines. Here's some headlines from the BBC for news in the UK for Yesterday:
'Terrifying' sex attack on girl"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/5153450.stm
"US tourist critical after attack"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/5153072.stm
"Cash stolen in town bank hold-up"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5154000.stm
"Four officers struck by vehicle"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5153620.stm
"Man is shot in leg in town attack"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4800710.stm
"Body is found in hospital grounds"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4836688.stm
Never come to the UK, as you can see this bad stuff happens every day,
this place is not safe.
Get real people, crime in SA is not normal and is not remotely comparable to other countries!!!
And stop suggesting that people who deplore crime in SA want to move to Australia. WE WANT TO LIVE IN A SAFE SOUTH AFRICA.
You need to get your head out the sand!
hey kriek - good point about crimexpoSA and foreign news. certainly one can fall into the trap of sensationalism.
however!, it's unfair and simplistic to think that the situation in SA is comparable to other countries. the level of viciousness and sheer volume of incidents (i know this is speculative as there is little empirical evidence for SA) is much higher compared to other developed countries. let's not fall into the trap of trying to class SA as a developing country as doing so does not allow us to justify either the SA situation or the situations in other developing countries.
I don't get this propaganda spin many "patriots" like to perpetuate by not admitting SA has a serious crime problem. You folks in denial need some help. You can't justify crime away by the tired excuse that "every" country has crime. Neither is it logical to compare feeling threatened in the subway in Rome or London vs going about your daily business in broad daylight at home and getting ambushed. Crime is not confined to only high-risk places in SA but you are not safe in your own home or car. You have a ministers that downplay the problem by wishing away people who complain about the crime instead of actually doing something about it. I live in the US now and would encourage everyone who can leave to do so. Visiting other countries as a tourist is not the same as living abroad and having a superior quality of life like better healthcare, a functional police force, not having to live in fortressed home etc - I have lived in many cities in the US and it's a rare site to see fences around homes, and even rarer to see burglar alarms. Burglar guards I have never seen at all.
If you lure tourists to SA and don't admit it's problems then you too have blood on your hands.
anonymous (above),
No-one 'lures' tourists to SA as though it was some kind of cunning crime-trap. The posts by travellers to SA indicate that they are generally very aware of the crime problem, and choose to come anyway. And most travellers go away in love with the place!
Crime is lamentable and, yes, action should be taken to curb it. The outrage expressed by people who claim that Addy is a crime apologist or somehow blind to reality is quite understandable, because honestly, if we're not outraged, we're not paying attention. The crime in SA is appalling, and a big noise should be made about that.
However, considering the massive socioeconomic challenges the country is facing (HIV/AIDS for one, 40% unemployment, a unique constitution and history) it would seem foolhardy in the extreme deliberately to sabotage a large source of income and economic growth, which is really the only currency that will be able to change the crime situation.
Can one make a rational (ie NOT an emotive) for sabotaging WC2010? Stan Sandler's letter (bottom of page at www.crimexposouthafrica.co.za) becomes steadily more emotive until it ends in an apocalytic vision. That is not the sort of thing that sways an economic mind - it is the letter of someone who is angry and confused and who is lashing out.
Hi Guys,
Yes we can always find some statistics in other newspapers talking about crime overseas but it does not compare. We live in abnormal circumstances and the money that could be used to fight crime and AIDS is used to bring the World Cup to SA!! Where are our priorities??
People are starving and cold and desperate and there is moral decay. All of our money and resources should be aimed at changing this and building a healthy NEW South Africa for all. Not grandstanding a world cup and distracting the government with rubbish. Let them focus on the important issues. Tell Thabo to get his head out of the rest of Africa and focus on his home where his people need him!!
I am currently visiting Australia and I can tell you that it is damn hard to make a living here. We have it easy in SA when it comes to opportunities but there is one thing here and it feels amazing. You can walk around at 1am in a park and sit on a bench and close your eyes and noone will touch you :-) That is something truly priceless that we just don't understand. We need that.
Yes Watson's site focusses on the negative. But whatever is on the site sadly is TRUE. None of us can deny that. And very little so far has changed! Maybe his broadcast on the negative will get people talking because most of us go through life each day in Joburg not listening to the news so that we can cope!
The idea is very good indeed !
I am a police man here in South Africa. I am a African and this is not the 'democracy' we fought for. Our government should apologise to all South Africans for their unwillingnes to solve the crime problem. Not only white people get affected by crime (as that site seem to imply). My father got shot at twice 5 and a half years ago just because he was driving a minibus on a 'forbidden' route in Mannenberg, Capetown.
Mario, first of all you've never been to Manenberg. Please, if you're going to come on here telling lies then I'm afraid I'll have to expose you to the SAPS.
Addy - Bravo for the positive attitude. But i dont think you would still be positive if your girl friend was raped - something that so many of us have had to endure.
your attitude is a product of your experiences. being held at knife point is nothing my friend. not in sa. when the one you love (God forbid) is raped then the perspective totally changes.
All these race issues only cloud the issue which is normal peopl trying to be proud of their country irrespective of race, trying to just live a safe and normal life.
Watson's site is a complete disgrace though and i commend your attitude. I just wonder if it would stay the same if you hadnt been so lucky...
Neil Watson works for an Insurance company. What's the best way to sell insurance?? Through FEAR!!
Where does the R3 you are charged per SMS on his site go to????
Hey Shit for Brains !, he uses it to pay for the website's hosting...now go back to your slum !!!
Hi Kriek
in answer. 20000 murdered in SA in 2004. The UK 800
please get real, there is no comparison
bwahahaha. what a pathetic loser this anony-mouse character is. why do you people actually waste your time with this tosser? he won't listen to what you say and will twist anything you do to suite his purpose. he also seems to be in full support of this southafricaiscrap character. have you seen this crap blog? the author of it thinly veils his racism by referring to "new south africans" instead of using the word black. he doesn't even have the balls to follow through completely. and this anony-mouse character is in support of him and probably the africacrisis site the southafricaiscrap blog too. they're both unashamedly racist so what does this character's support of those sites make him?
you would waste time on a racist who believes that apartheid was actually a good thing? you would have an argument with someone who believes a falsehood like that?
to call him a loser is an insult to losers.
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