"Hey! Vokoff. Jy kannie park here, man..."
Stu Savory visited South Africa a while back and was mugged. In an earlier entry on the subject, I acknowledged crime's prevalence and — thankful for Rethabile's informed support — trashed Neil Watson for his misguided hysteria.
In short, I do not deny crime's impact or reality. I do differ with most on the best way to tackle it though.
I took the photographs accompanying this entry at Big Wave Africa, held last week. A colleague took a few of us out into the swell and positioned us well enough to catch awestruck glimpses of some brain-blowing surf. Photography? Pretty much out of the question. My Baby Canon's just not up to it.
So close, yet so far...
More, the bloody police were all over the place, keeping spectators in rubber ducks and on boats well behind the safety buoys. On the one hand — having seen a media boat coming terribly close to being up-ended by a 15-foot chomper, a strong police presence was welcome. On the other hand, it spoiled my once-in-a-lifetime view of a once-in-a-blue-moon event.
But no matter. Because I'm thinking "crime" here, police at a sporting event tells me four things:
- We have cops.
- We have a public service.
- We have government.
- Denying or decrying any or all the above will do nothing... NOTHING to rein in or reduce crime figures regarded horrendous by those contemplating conveying any article of value, including themselves, from Point A to Point B.
We're hypocrites to think or pretend otherwise. And by deflecting debate from South Africa's key problem — massive, pervasive poverty living cheek by jowl with ostentatious opulence, it's we who put visitors like Stu at risk.
Sorry, Stu ...
