In England, you will be safe, yes?
Posted on December 14th, 2008 by Richard Catto 2,041 views
South Africans sick of “crime filled” South Africa often flee to England where they know they will be safe, because, as we all know, in First World countries, one can walk the streets at any time of night or day and no-one would dream of hurting you. Right?
Of course, this is naturally correct.
It therefore must be completely untrue, the following story on The Daily Mail, where a 55 year old man, terminally ill from cancer, was beaten to death by youths when he popped out to buy some fish and chips.
This must be incorrect. There must be some mistake. I’m sure they meant to report that this attack happened in South Africa. They must have gotten the country wrong.
So, don’t worry, England is waiting for you scared of crime South Africans.
You will be safe there. I promise.
Tags: Crime
Filed under Crime |
22 Responses to “In England, you will be safe, yes?”
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Kay Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 11:29Terrible story. Why should you, as a defenceless person, have to leave the house to be murdered? South Africa does it so much better.
“A 30-YEAR-OLD French woman was found murdered in a house in Johannesburg after she was shot and killed while breast-feeding during a house robbery.”
P.S. Who believes the Daily Mail these days, anyway?
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Richard Catto Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 15:06@Kay: Well, I think anyone staying in JHB needs to realise that they’re antelopes being stalked by lions. You cannot ever be safe there.
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Kay Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 15:41True. It’s mainly just kids they kill in Cape Town, isn’t it?
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Relax Max Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 17:42Ten times worse in the U.S. I think.but I am not going to stay at home and cower. Richard is right about the grass not being greener in Britain or Canada. Not really. Stay and work to make it better, don’t run.
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Richard Catto Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 17:56Poverty levels in the Western Cape hover around 32% whereas in Gauteng and Durban, they are over 40%. Bring your poverty levels down and your crime will decrease.
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glen Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 18:03i was born and grew up in Jhb, spent many years in other places like Durban and Cape town. I now live in the UK.
It does not matter where you go in the world, there is violence and racism everywhere. It is sad that the world is the way it is.
South Africa and America share some of the most horrific figures for peace-time crime and violence. Both countries are relatively new republics and it will take a long time until both iron out these issues with their citizens.The world is a sad place full of bitterness, resent, poverty and despair. May God show us all mercy and love.
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 19:04I quote Richard: “So, dont worry, England is waiting for you scared of crime South Africans.”
Richard, a blatant generalisation should not be glibly applied: not all South Africans flee the country due to fear of crime, in fact I might perhaps be bold enough to say that more often than not Brits flee their country due to incessant petty crime? This is a nanny state of epic and parasitic, and of smothering proportions and simply at best intolerable. And before I am accused of swinging this topic my way, and before you jump to conclusions, the reason why I (and perhaps thousands of other Saffas) are in the UK, is not down to crime, but other personal reasons. It is painfully hard to eke out an existence in this country but yet we persevere and live for the day we can come home. I have just returned from Cape Town and was amazed once again at the high and very visible levels of security and the lack of crime: stop flogging SA for being crime ridden and unacceptable, and yes: the UK is morally and otherwise decrepit: I don’t think anyone has ever denied this?
Please: step out of the small circle which is your world and take a chance to look at the bigger picture: the decay is everywhere yet there are better things to harp on about? -
Richard Catto Says:
December 15th, 2008 at 23:50@Sybergypsy: I didn’t mean to imply that all South Africans who leave South Africa do so for reasons of flight from crime.
Many go abroad simply for more competitive salary packages. The other reason is lack of confidence in the country’s future, especially when something like a power crisis hits as what happened earlier this year.
But any South African who cites crime as the reason and then moves to an urban area in any city in any country is fooling themselves. Crime and urban areas go hand in hand.
If you want to escape crime, you have to move to a small town which is not surrounded by people living in abject poverty.
But there are no guarantees anywhere. Death stalks us wherever we go. Staying alive is hard. It is the greatest challenge of being alive – remaining alive.
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 02:20Again, I beg to differ: “If you want to escape crime, you have to move to a small town which is not surrounded by people living in abject poverty.” Both Cape Town and Mossel Bay are surrounded by poverty, yet I (and for that matter, my British husband and his family) have never experienced any crime in either of these larger metropoles. Does not mean we don’t want to settle in Putsonderwater, but Cape Town will do nicely, thanks!
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 02:23Ps: as for death: is that not the purpose of living so that one day too we will all day?
In the meantime though, live as if each moment is your last, live with soul and breathe the memories: there’s truly nothing better.
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Richard Catto Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 02:48@ Sybergypsy: Cape Town, however, is not crime free. Far from it. But I’m glad that you have not experienced crime here. There’s always next time, so let me know when you plan to visit again and I’ll see what I can do for you.
Btw, please join my site via Google FriendConnect (below).
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 03:17Could do with a job over there…. would drop everything here at a minute’s notice if I had a job….
what crime can you organise? Could do with a million, you organise bank heists?
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Richard Catto Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 15:02@Sybergypsy: You should be able to get a job here with the skills and experience you developed in England. Not sure about the salary, though.
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 00:12Funny, am not worried about the salary, would really even work as a waitress lol… only worry is about being able to pay a house over there… guess that does take me in a loop then, doesn’t it?
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Richard Catto Says:
December 18th, 2008 at 15:26@Sybergypsy: oh you will need to worry about salary if you plan to live in Cape Town because it is still the most expensive South African city to live in. Property remains exorbitant despite the current dip we are in. Also the city intends hiking rates to help fun 2010. If you are doing financially well in the UK, you will have to adapt to a lower standard of living here if you return and depend on a local salary to survive.
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 21st, 2008 at 22:29Sorry about hijacking this topic!
I was recently quite shocked by the nasty attitude(s) displayed by the staff of a shop in Kalk Bay when I wanted to buy a display item which was not practically convenient for them to sell. Fair enough, but they made me feel a total villain when I insisted I wanted to buy it: the purpose of the shop, surely? After all, times are not that good that a shop could refuse selling something, never mind having arrogant attitudes and embarrasing customers thereby.
Can such a topic be raised, I would love to hear opinions on this…? -
Richard Catto Says:
December 21st, 2008 at 23:10@Sybergypsy: What did you want to buy?
Why don’t you start your own blog?
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Sybergypsy Says:
December 21st, 2008 at 23:38… A shell curtain, lol@me!
It was too high on the wall for them to get off…!I don’t know how to start a blog, and I doubt whether I am good enough of a writer for that… will just leave it at that
Have a great Xmas!
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Richard Catto Says:
December 22nd, 2008 at 02:48@Sybergypsy: So what did the shop assistants say to you, short stuff?
Sign up for a free blog here:
wordpress.comGood enough writer? You obviously haven’t read some of the crap people blog about. You’re a natural.
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kwaZulian Says:
January 23rd, 2009 at 15:50Just moved to mid kwaZulu from Joburg, and the crime is just as bad here in the rural areas. Police blame it on the Zimbabweans streaming in. As the economy worsens and there are more unemployed, the worse the situation will get. Worldwide of course as well. It’s not much fun when you can’t walk your dog anymore because of fear of attack. That’s the price you pay for living on an over populated planet with resources running out.
You sort of start hoping that the 21 December 2012 prophecy is true and the world does go tits up to sort out the population problem.
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kwaZulian Says:
January 23rd, 2009 at 16:02Don’t be so dismissive of Sybergypsy and the shell curtain in the shop story. I know exactly what shop in Kalk Bay she is referring to. That shell curtain is being used as a makeshift toilet door. You can buy it alright, but only for a considerable price. So don’t bother making an offer unless you’re really flush.
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Thomas Schneider Says:
March 20th, 2009 at 12:06Relax Max when you say ten times worse in The US you think wrong. Its much worse in South Africa as in The US. as a european living in The US and have been to SA i know for sure as i witnessed that SA is a lot worse. hope you are not another American who thinks his country is the worst in the world. but yeah every country has its droubles so have Europeans as well. defenately you have to stay and work together to solve the problem not escape cauz that will not solve it.
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