printFinally, media other than yours truly mentions, if fleetingly, the elephant in the Pistorius courtroom: unidirectional, black-on-black and black-on-white violent crime. Examined in depth and at length in Into the Cannibal’s Pot, crime, and the fear of being butchered, was likely behind the blade runner’s irrational, irresponsible actions.
“[F]or all his privilege, Oscar Pistorius knows the rapacity and invincibility of the criminal class in his country. Like every other Afrikaner, he knew in his gut what infiltrating gangs would do to a legless Boer. He had seen images of the mangled bodies.” (From “Blade Runner Killing And The Media Blackout.”)
The Economist doesn’t go so far as to acknowledge the legitimacy of the fear, but does mention it:
When Mr Pistorius declared in his testimony, “I shot out of fear,” he became the voice of many white South Africans. They tend to see themselves as living in the shadow of violent crime, retreating behind high walls, electric fences and steel doors. From there they can summon private security guards, who are twice as numerous as policemen, by pressing a panic button.
The trial has revived a long-running debate about other aspects of crime. South Africa’s murder rate is one of the highest in the world: 30.9 for every 100,000 people, compared with 4.7 in the United States. Yet the rate has fallen by half in the past 15 years. Rich whites, the most fearful among South Africans, are actually the least endangered. Most victims are poor and black.
Though both the accused and the victim in the Pistorius case are white, race is never far away. … the case in fact involves a third protagonist, “the threatening body, nameless and faceless, of an armed and dangerous black intruder”. …
Actually, in proportion to their numbers in the general population, whites and Indians are more likely to be victimized by the criminal class in South Africa.
UPDATE I (4/21): A reader affirms the above, writing as follows:
“I have so often, ever since the dreadful act that ended the life of Oscar Pistorius’ girlfriend, wanted to write to you Ilana, and say: Please tell your readers about the ghastly fear that every Afrikaner suffers from; the fear that he would be murdered in the most atrocious manner, mangled, tortured, raped before family members;slaughtered. So thank you for being true to the truth. His is the insane reaction of anyone—especially an Afrikaner living in his birthland—who knows what he will suffer at the hands of black criminal gangs who almost have permission to murder from the silent government. You, Ilana, are the right person, at the right time to make this known.”
UPDATE II: Via Brian James Smith on Facebook: Thanks to Cuan Elgin with the below list. Nothing to fear? South African justice is seen to be working like this circus of a trial…? Think again. The reality of South Africa this past week.
Black-on-White attacks: 7 Days. 20 Attacks. 27 Victims. 3 Women Raped. 7 People shot. 6 People Murdered:
9 April: Leon Pretorius (50) and his wife Phylis (49) were attacked at their place of business in Bloemspruit. Leon was shot twice. He is in hospital.
9 April: An Elderly man was attacked and murdered in his home in Dinwiddi. He was stabbed and his neck was broken.
9 April: An elderly couple was attacked, assaulted, tied up and robbed in Helderkruin.
10 April: A Family was attacked in their home in the Featherbrooke Estate. The mother and daughter were assaulted and the father was shot. He is recovering in hospital.
10 April: A 27-year-old woman was attacked by 4 black men. She was abducted and raped.
10 April: ‘A 58-year old woman was attacked and raped at the Anstey’s Beach Guest House in Brighton Beach.
10 April: The Lombaard couple was attacked on their farm in Tulbach. They were able to defend themselves and the attackers fled.
11 April: Lazlo (87) and Carol Bercsenyi were attacked in Bon Accord. They were hacked with axes. Lazlow died from his injuries.
12 April: Jaap Pretorius (52) is in a critical condition after an attacked on him and his fiancé in Bloemfontein. He was shot in the head.
12 April: A 62-year-old man was attacked in his holiday home in St. Francis. He was assaulted, tied up and robbed.
12 April: Vicus Botha (63) was assaulted in front of his home in Pietermaritzburg. He was badly beaten and died from his injuries.
13 April: A 48-year-old woman and her husband were attacked by 4 black men in their home in Benoni. The woman was raped by the attackers in front of her husband.
14 April: Kobus Nieuwoudt (41) was attacked, assaulted and shot in Ontdekkerspark.
15 April: Rina Hough (65) was stabbed to death at her home in Senekal.
15 April: Bart Klopper (63) was attacked and assaulted at his farm in Edeville. He sustained serious head injuries.
15 April: Johan Nel and his 13-year-old son were attacked and assaulted on their farm in Wolmaransstad by 6 black men armed with CZ88 pistols.
15 April: Frik Bodenstein (58) was attacked on his farm in Witbank. He was hacked with machetes and is recovering in hospital.
16 April: Johan Bornman and his wife were attacked in their farm in Vredefort. Johan was shot in his face and shoulder and is in hospital.
16 April: W/O Steven Britz (44) was shot dead at the Klapmuts Police Station.
17 April: Hannes Duvenhage (68) shot dead in Ermelo