SA, Crime and the World Cup

Why the hell did SA get the world cup ?

Kissing up to St Nelson? Giving it to Africa for PeeCee reasons?

Surely the most important thing would be to think about the safety of the visiting fans and in no way does South Africa offer this.

Quote: The murder rate in SA is so high it would take the UK 26.5 years to achieve the same figures. This is even more shocking when you take into account that the UK population is about 15 million more than SA. Interpol figures show that South Africa has the highest murder rate in the world, about ten times that of the United States.

Quote: South Africa has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world, and attacks on high-profile figures, including diplomats, have sparked new calls for a crackdown on violent crime. These calls fall on deaf ears.

Quote: Crime in Gauteng has spiralled out of control. Despite recent major anti-crime offensives: Armed house robbery increased by 29%; Armed business robbery rose by 30%; Bank robbery was up by 50%; Murder rose by 8.5%; and Rape increased by 4.9%. There were successes: Arrests for illegal possession of firearms increased by just over 10%; Drunk driving arrests increased by 11.2%; and Hijacking declined 0.2%.

Quote: Rape figures are unbelievable, about 150 000 per year. One in three of the 4,000 women questioned by CIET Africa, a non-governmental organisation, said they had been raped in the past year. In a related survey conducted among 1,500 schoolchildren in the Soweto township, a quarter of all the boys interviewed said that 'jackrolling' - a South African term for recreational gang rape - was fun. More than half the interviewees insisted that when a girl says no to sex she really means yes.

Foreigners are not specifically targeted, but several have been the victims of rape. Victims of violent crime, especially rape, are strongly encouraged to seek immediate medical attention, including antiretroviral therapy against HIV/AIDS. Many of those interviewed also expressed little knowledge about the need to use condoms and to practise safe sex.

Quote: Although the vast majority of visitors complete their travels in South Africa without incident, visitors should be aware that criminal activity, often violent, occurs routinely. Notwithstanding government anti-crime efforts, violent crimes such as armed robbery, carjacking, mugging, "smash and grab" attacks on vehicles and other incidents are regularly reported by visitors.

Quote: Criminal activity, such as assault, armed robbery, and theft is particularly high in areas surrounding many hotels and public transportation centres, especially in major cities. Theft of passports and other valuables is most likely to occur at airports, bus terminals, and train stations. A number of travellers have been mugged or violently attacked on commuter and metro trains, especially between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Several foreign travellers also reported theft of personal belongings after strangers whom they invited into their hotel drugged them.

Quote: Armed robbery of cash-in-transit vehicles and personnel occurs throughout South Africa and peaks during December and January due to the increase in cash flow from commercial stores to banks. These attacks have also included incidents at major malls and in large grocery stores.

Quote: There is a serious baggage pilferage problem at OR Tambo, Johannesburg and Cape Town International airports, particularly affecting travellers changing airlines.

Still thinking of going to watch the world cup in 2010?