E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSJOHANNESBURG – The array of statistics South African officials have been touting in the lead up to the start of the World Cup on June 11 has certainly been impressive.
Fifty-five thousand new police officers, $88 million in new police equipment, the largest deployment of Interpol officers in the organization's history and up to eight police officers from each of the 31 visiting teams in country to assist in crime prevention.
Yet, despite the heavy investment in South Africa's defense infrastructure, this cup-crazed country has found itself facing fresh criticism over its security preparations on the eve of the big event.
South Africans were hit with a bombshell when a Johannesburg paper article reported that members of the U.S. Congress had been briefed on credible threats of attacks being planned by terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Somalia based, al-Shahaab.
The report said that operatives from militant organizations had trained in terror camps in northern Mozambique may have already infiltrated South Africa and were poised to strike World Cup matches and events.
South Africa's top security officials were quick to dismiss the claims of a terrorist threat and expressed confidence in the revamped security force being rolled out.
Domestic crime
Whether the new revelations are enough to sway travelers to abandon their World Cup plans remains to be seen. But it is just another blemish on South Africa's desperate bid to change the perception of the country as a rough and tumble place unsafe for such a massive global event.
Recent statistics demonstrate that public perception is not far from the truth.
Statistics released by the South African Police Service showed that between April 2008 and March 2009, this country of 48 million million people had 18,148 murders and 70,514 sexual crimes. By comparison, the United States, with a population of 300 million, had 14,180 murders and 89,000 sexual crimes in 2008.
That means almost 50 murders are committed each day in South Africa. Yet, in the most recent State of the Union address by President Jacob Zuma in February, crime was only mentioned three times in his speech and no concrete prevention strategy was mentioned, much to the frustration of many South Africans.
The widespread perception of how commonplace violent crime is here may be far more damaging to the 2010 World Cup then any terrorist threat. People who live here are so used to the ubiquitous crime that they speak of it as something that can’t be avoided, only confronted.
At a popular watering hole in Johannesburg's suburb of Melville over the weekend, long-time patrons watched highlights of last week's South Africa vs. Columbia friendly match and offered player profiles over the dull groan of thousands of horns from the TV.
When discussion shifted inevitably to the front page news of the day about terrorist threats, opinions divided sharply over the veracity of those reports. However, all were quick to drive discussion away from terrorist threats to everyday crime. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 55,000 additional police quickly became the butt of many complaints.
"Fifty-five thousand new police and I still get nervous if I have to walk home alone late at night" moaned one area resident working on a World Cup project. Another long time resident wondered aloud “Fifty-five thousand, but where are they?”
Indeed, driving extensively through the famously poor area of Soweto and Soccer City – the site of one of the beautiful new stadiums South Africa has erected for the World Cup – it is difficult to sense any significant police presence, a sentiment confirmed by longtime residents of Johannesburg.
Yet, despite the pervasiveness of crime here and the looming threat of terrorist threat, it seemed that night nobody at the bar was deterred from their belief that this World Cup was going to be the biggest, most successful party in African history.
Here’s to that dream coming true.
Leave a Comment:
One would think that the great Nelson Mandela and all of his subsequent heads of state would have done a better job with South Africa. It once was the 8th largest economy in the world and the Krugerrand was the gold standard of the world. Now iit is the murder and rape capital of the world, with a crumbling infrastructure and devastated economy. Can anyone point to one successful country in sub Saharan Africa run by Africans? Seems like all their leaders run off with the treasury and institute dictatorships. With a continent so rich in natural resources they should be the economic envy of the world instead such a dismal place of no hope!
Africa might have been a better place had it not been broken up and divided by greedy European powers who exploited the continent for their own gain.
How long will they be using THAT as a crutch?
1.Tribes war on each other 2. Europeans moved in 3. Europeans moved out 4. Tribes war on each other 5. Strong man or war lords appear to control the warring factions, usually a member of the strongest faction or tribe 6. Corruption and predation on a scale unheard of during European rule 7. Starvation and disease 8. knee jerk response by liberals - Europeans caused it all.
Yeah, they might be a better place if not broken up by greedy European powers. They would be living in straw huts and dying from intertribal wars and diseases.
That is the reality of Zumababwe. You did not even touch on the Aids situation with 1 in 3 pregnant women testing HIV positive in the worst hit areas - I am sure some fans will not only be taking home photos.
I have made 2 trips to South Africa in the last 2 years. My observations:
The fear of crime in the cities is very apparent. Every home I saw seemed to be protected by fences topped by razor wire.
Corruption is becoming more open. Last year an airport official quite openly asked for a bribe.
It take anywhere from 8 months to 8 years to get a gun permit. The government is more concerned with whites being armed in general then in allowing people the means to defend themselves.
The rural areas seemed perfectly safe.
Whites are pessimistic about the country. The skilled and professionals are seeing blacks move into jobs before they are qualified in order to meet government mandated affirmative action programs.
My overall view, this is a country in decline.
my friend was carjacked twice in 1 year !!!!
I hate to say it but the country was far better off as a whole, relatively speaking, during the apartheid years. Yes, there was unfairness with minority white rule but for the most part SA was a much better country for all of its citizens. SA, in ten or fifteen years, will be unrecognizable from the other African countries with millions living in poverty, the infastructure in shambles and crime three times higher than what it is now. It's the same story all over the world. Where blacks are the majority chaos and ruination prevail.
I have travelled the world. An imperfect world. Everywhere. And a remarkable one as well. Full of resilience, warmth, humour and survival as ordinary citizens make their way through the imperfections that characterise our collective sociopolitical realities. From the war-torn to the relatively peacefilled. I have lived in South Africa for close on 50 years - and out of it. Every day I celebrate the miracle of warmth acceptance and humour among our remarkable people - our ordinary citizens. I work with Government - on service delivery. I am often as frustrated as the good drinkers of Melville. But as a former journalist I am even more frustrated by the selectivist view of my fellow journalists. I saw ordinary people two weekends in succession celebrating the former (white Afrikaans) Apartheid sport of rugby in the most famous township of Soweto. Delirious drinkers. I traipsed through the desperate streets of Soweto daily in the 1980s. I have seen thbe change in the city: tarred roads; lighting; waste removal; infrastructure. I am woefully aware of the parlous sate of health services there too. And am working with authorities on the upgrades. And no I dont believe that we as a developing nation made the right decision -we didnt have the resources to waste on trophy soccer stadiums for a World Cup. But BOY am I DELIRIOUS as I drive down the streets in my flag-covered car greeting my fellow citizens and celebrants; delirious as I walk through the townships and city centres surrounded by multi-colour t-shirts in the colours of our flag; walk though our airports filled with yellow, green, black, red, white and blue and 31 other flags. We are united in celebrating an amazing Global Event. Police? The airport was crawling with police the day the Brazilian team arrived. And even more this week. Warm friendly funny people, who gave my crazy makaraka the thumbs up [a decorated plastic hat fashioned from construction helmets - a local soccer item like our noisy vuvuzela plastic horns]. I am sure that the annual celebrations in Brazil, the German World Cup were not crime or violence free. I dont remember the media trashing the entire country for that. As I recall, they focused on the Beautiful Game. I do remember the fanfare around the event. I was in Shanghai last month. I tried hard to be objective [negative], but I can only celebrate a society that has dedicated itself to development. Its time to do the same. For South Africa. For all South Africans. We have emerged from the horrors of Apartheid. We are imperfect. We are an imperfect developing nation. And boy are we vocal about our imperfections - which only provides our detractors with more fuel for their criical barrages. But we have made amazing strides since 1994. I cannot wait for 11 June 2010: Its going to be a spectacular, fun, happy, crazy, soccer-mad World Cup- and those visitors who are brave enough to try it will be hooked on the unique energy of our people. Ke Nako
Consider this:
Israel just committed public relations suicide
The republicans are trying everything they can to split this country apart through their hate filled rhetoric, lying, misstatements, distortions and rumor spreading.
It looks like BP has successfully attacked and will have murdered the Gulf economy
American politicians are felt by their constituencies to be thoroughly corrupt.
Why does the Taliban have to do ANYHTHING?
I think you should change your statement to "The politicians are trying everything they can to split this country apart ... ". Saying that only one party is doing the spliting shows decay and that you too are promoting the divide.
Not to mention that Rod Blagojevich claims he will be Governor of Illinois again. The state of Illinois can not pay its bills and the top crook wants to rule from prison, great stuff. Some religious leaders in Chicago called for the Illinois National Guard to be deployed in the streets to control violence.
I do not think South Africa has cornered the market on poor behavior and bad political decisions.
It is so very, very sad that the Cradle of Humanity, the verdant & rich lands of the Dark Continent, has become a humanitarian nightmare. Yes, the Europeans started it, the American Right continues to aggravate it, but at some point, you have to say ENOUGH. China did it, Europe thrashed for nearly a century before ceasing the slaughter of its children, but it DID stop. Alas, let the AIDS pandemic continue long enough, there won't be any Africa to repair
Obviously you cannot comprehend the level of devastation done to the entire continent of Africa. Eurpoeans are STILL controlling and exploiting the natural resources and its citizens. This is not some slight of offense like stepping on someone's toe and just holding a grudge. Do your research before making such a myopic comment.
Excuse me, but look who has been in charge since the l980's: the blacks! Just like Liberia, the US Blacks wanted their own nation...but then they had to ask for help. So get over the redundant blame it on someone else mentality. If you know the history: kindly read it. Tribes have been killing each other as long as they have existed...
Look who controls the natural resources in the USA...
So those who blame: are you saying the blacks are incapable of self governing?
Absolutely.. the blacks want wealth, power, Money. but don't want to earn the right or work for it. I forsee SA being another Zimbabwe in 5 maybe 10 years. I like SA, Spent three weeks there right after 9-11. Crime was bad then, it has gotten worse now, I read the SA news everyday, chat and email with friends there everyday. the landgrabs by the blacks have already started, White farmers being forced / pushed off their land, just because they are white. meanwhile the SA government does nothing, Malema has to go to a political school for 20 days? Could they not find a educated person to be the youth leader? What a waste of a magnificent Country and people.
The European colonialists are not to blame for Africa's problems. Inter-tribal violence has existed for thousands of years, and continues to this day. There are fundamental flaws in the culture that promote the satisfaction of personal desires over what is necessary for a harmonious society. This is what drives the crime and corruption from the bottom to the top of society: theft, rape, bribery, murder... What Africa needs is leaders who can inspire their people to be better citizens and work towards a common good, but what they are stuck with are common idiots like Zuma and Mugabe.
So basically Israel´s Mossad are planning to carry out some false-flag terrorist attacks like they did on 911.
When will the world wake up and stop this misery of the terrorist state of Israel and Zionism?
Excuse me, but how do you blame the American Right for the plights of South Africa? That's simply ignorant. The current South African government is simply incapable of responsible self-governing. As another poster commented, the blacks have been in power since the 1980's and have only served to degrade the economy and standard of living. Anyone who believes that Europe or America still controls South Africa or any other sub-Saharan nation for that matter is simply ignorant and misinformed.
Look, I agree that slavery was one of the greatest targedies in the course of human events. However, there have been hundreds of people and civilizations that have suffered just as muh if not worse as the Africans have had to deal with through slavery and colonization. These people never asked for handouts, they never placed blame for decades on end, and they never expected an entire race or country to feel eternally shameful for their actions. No, they stood up and lifted themselves up. They triumphed over their sufferings and tragedies. I am tired of being expected to feel sorry and ashamed for the actions of my ancestors and countrymen. Hell, my ancestors may have never owned slaves, I don't know whether they did or not. But because my skin is white and I'm an American I have to feel sorry to the blacks in America and around the world. I did nothing to these people. Tell me, why should I be punished or burdened with responsibility for their fate? There comes a time where everybody needs to take responsibility for their own fate, stop blaming others for the state of their life, and improve their life on their own, not expect others to do it for them.
And with the massive hate storm Bush received for intervening in foreign affairs in the Middle East, why should any American, let alone the American Right, be willing to put their necks on the line to get invovled? It sounds cruel, but I'm tired of the double standard being played by liberals in America today. We need to stay out of everybody else's business, but its my obligation to help out those who showed the lack of intelligence to take out a loan they could not afford? (As an aside, this is not a cheapshot at all liberals, and simply because one may share a liberal viewpoint does not mean they should take offense; I am only targeting a select group in American society and politics.)
Thanks.
I too am saddened by the state of South Africa. My father was one of the organizers of the first inter-racial volleyball league in the country during Aparteid. He worked tirelessly to promote cooperation and understanding between blacks and whites. He believed that the native African people could rise up and create a beautiful future together with the whites who lived among them. Unfortunatelly, the Apartheid government didn't appreciate his efforts and he and my mother were forced to leave SA and come to the US. They were blissfully happy when Nelson Mandela took power because they thought it was the beginning of the future they wished for.
But now that dream lies in ruins. We hear word from relatives back in SA about the walls, fences, burglar alarms, locks, and guard dogs that only help a little. Horror stories have reached us about friends having to plow through busy intersections to escape from carjackers who strike at red lights. Aquaintences have had their fingers chopped off during muggings so the thieves could take their wedding rings. Those who can afford to leave are going to Australia or Britain. But many more don't have the means to move away.
I'm glad that the World Cup is being held in SA. Maybe the national pride that comes from such an event will inspire a new generation to pick up the pieces and build a better SA. Then my parents' dream will at last become reality.
PS. For Jake McCrann - If the Mossad had perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, we would still be trying to figure out who did it. Idiot...
The general hatred and despair across the globe created by those who have power taking advantage of those that have nopower will forever perpetuate the problem of human suffering. Having said that, there is no chance that any group that was once oppressed will show benevolence when they manage to take control of the power. Essentially, few mothers ever taught their children to lie and yet we somehow figure it out. People have an overwhelming capacity for evil and it comes so easy. Discipline and doing right by ones neighbors is becoming more difficult by the day...
Any continent that is dominated by Islam will always be in ruins...
Both Africa and the Middle East are @!$%#holes... And thats how they will always be.
I blame Europe for all the bad things happening in America today. If it had not been for Spain's, France's and Britian's greed, the Americas would still be inhabited by the decendants of Polynesia and Mongolia. And if it hadn't been for Polynesian and Mongolian Greed, America would still be inhabited by Giant sloths and Sabertooth tigers, and it it hadn't been for Sloth and Tiger greed, the bushes would be lusher, and the Buffalo slower and...
In response to the distress of citizens over the lack of a visible police presence: uniformed officers on patrol may slow everyday urban crime, but if a decent portion of 55,000 new police were plainclothes, that would be an advantage over terrorism in that a terrorist might be less careful if a uniformed officer is not visible in the moments leading up to an attack. This hypothetical "cloaked" force would do little to ease citizens' minds but might be the smart move in the long run. However, in a nation where corruption is common, plainclothes officers could more easily follow that path thus worsening the situation.
Secondly, I'm not as surprised as disappointed by the number of comments i read using human social and political history to place blame, deepen divisions, and draw new dividing lines between the minds of people. When can we all decide to put the past as a tool for harboring grudges in the past and learn to use it as the most important tool of insight anyone can have for the future? politicians are schemers, we all know that. They have lots of money, we all know that. They play the power game well, we all know that. No matter how much they care about the common man, the rules of their game require them to put their personal interests above all else. we all know that. But the common man has his feet planted on the ground and a mere human on a throne stands on nothing but a fantasy entertained by the well aware masses, supported by our able shoulders.
...harboring grudges... not explicit to one time conflicts and events... citing Omi7 indirectly, many trespasses in africa are old but perpetuating. This is why forgiveness and spiritual renewal are difficult. how do you forgive an offense that has not yet finished offending? poor human relations perpetuated are like a deep, slow, cut across the skin. The pain is immediate from the moment the blade penetrates, but the blade keeps moving and the pain increases and it will take more time after the blade has been destroyed before it ceases. I say destroy the blade. The more popular method is to destroy its wielder, for the mind more easily comes to this solution, and, sadly, more easily implements it.
The common wisdom "can't we all get along?" bleated by a media-prepared Rodney King after the drunken ride that sparked the LA Riots seems to be the mantra of the third world.
Unfortunately it really means "I don't want to work to create a country - I don't want to put aside my own selfish interests for the good of society - I want you to pay for all the percieved wrongs I harbor".
Europe had it's dark ages. It created the standard of civilization we know today over 600 years ago, in an age of wooden ships and mounted calvery. Enough with the Third World. Blacks sold their "brothers" into slavery. Blacks still maintain a tribal mentality that will NEVER produce a workable modern society.
The western world should turn their backs on this rabble and let them de-populate the continent.