Dispatches From the Bloody South-African Front

Barely a Blog will continue to keep the scandal of violence in South Africa front and center, as I’ve done in “The Ugly truth About Democratic South Africa,” indirectly, in “Oprah’s Excellent Elitism,” and in “Self-defense: A Universal Right.”

The following is from a Captain in the South African Police. We shall not disclose his identity for obvious reasons:

Dear Ilana,

Being a white policeman in the “New South Africa,” I cannot agree more with the article I read, “The Ugly Truth about Democratic South Africa.” One feels quite helpless in this country. We are scared to criticize because we are accused of racism if we do. Violence is so much part of our lives now, that when you hear of the next incident you are not shocked, but accept it with a shrug of the shoulders, glad that it is not yet your turn.
We are not safe, our lives are miserable. It is hard to stay positive. The government imposed harsh gun laws that mainly hit law-abiding citizens and inevitably disarmed a lot of them. Nothing is being done about crime. I suspect that the “struggle” that the government always raves about is actually continuing in the shape of crime. [“The struggle” refers to the fight against white dominance and oppression; we in the US hear allusions to it too.] With crime they make life intolerable for white people leaving us two alternatives: to leave South Africa or wait your turn to become a victim.

This country is not my country anymore; I have no rights as an Afrikaans male. I fear for the safety of my loved ones. I am horrified by the backwardness that is becoming more evident day by day. To top it all, we have turned into a filthy country; our streets are littered with rubbish. I just cannot accept this.

I am looking with some trepidation at what the future holds.

Kind regards
—Captain F.

Hi Ilana

I recently found your article “The Ugly Truth About Democratic South Africa.” It saddens me to say I agree with you. I read the article hoping to find something in it that was not true or that I could not relate to.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, I am making a trip back to SA in March for my brother’s wedding. My wife and I and emigrated to Australia 6 years ago, for the very reasons per your article. We too were spared the ever increasing probability of a random, senseless act of violence. I had and have many friends, all of whom encountered some form of the “New South Africa” violence.

An interesting fact is that 90% of my std. 8 class has all emigrated. I literally don’t have any friends left in SA.

I have a good friend based here in Melbourne, who is in charge of Jewish Security, the CSO. The crime figures are that unreliable in SA right now that the SA based CSO has set up its own crime-reporting department and is capturing statistics for small areas concentrated around the Jewish suburbs. He tells me that sometimes their own figures top the local stats for far wider geographical areas.

I have two boys aged 4 and 1, both born here, and I guess the hardest thing to deal with re immigration is the fact that my kids will grow up without grandparents or cousins. Yet when pressurized to ship the entire family back for two weeks to a crime-ridden city, with no law and no regard for life, my parents simply can’t–and I suppose are not able to–understand why I refuse to take back the whole family.

There are always mixed emotions when going back. On the one hand it is great to see family; on the other you are constantly on guard.

I guess the big test for SA will be the 2010 soccer games; I have my doubts as to whether they can pull it off. Time will tell.

Keep writing and I will keep reading–thank you. If only more people would write with such brutal honesty perhaps more people would wake up from their “almost comatose state, which they have no choice but to live in.”

All the best

Regards
—Gary R.

[I’m in the same predicament. My family, however, does somewhat understand why I will not go back. Where I live in the US, the last murder was almost two decades ago. It was a domestic dispute. Visitors to SA are far more likely to be victimized by killers than the locals, who are, instinctively, more vigilant. What is also very likely to happen is this: all our families have reliable, wonderful “help.” By this I mean a black lady who works as a domestic helper, usually supporting an extended family on her wages. The women of Africa are admirable. Say I brought her a gift (which I would). The poor woman might show it to a neighbor, back in the township. Or to a young relative. The next thing, word about the “rich” American (or Australian or Canadian) visitor has spread all over, and the home in which you are residing is attacked. Since conviction rates hover at 2.96 percent, the incentive to murder is very high. It’s fun and free, you see. And that’s what the thugs will do. The ANC government is also in the process of disarming the helpless white population. The savages know it’s a free for all.—ILANA]