South Africa
With SA in the news because of the shocking incident involving Oscar Pistorisu, I'm curious to hear from any members who have been there.
You hear all these reports of carjacking’s, robberies. burglaries, private security guards on housing estates and its always put me off visiting. Oscar Pistorius apparently shot his girlfriend because he thought she might be an intruder - was he worried because he was famous and therefore a target or do most residents live in fear and feel they need a gun to defend themselves and their property from attack?
I was so surprised when SA was chosen to host the 2010 football world cup and yet as far as I know there were no problems with crime.
Are there any no go Cities/areas?
Are there Cities/areas where it’s perfectly safe for visitors?
As far as Oscar is concerned it is a gated community i hear on the TV so he would have known that it was unlikely to be an intruder - puzzled - did she say that she was leaving him? having an affair? and he just flipped? was he on drugs at the time? so many theories - will we ever know - what a terrible shame - the loss of a very beautiful young girl and now his life ruined for what? bye M x
I had the pleasure of being in South Africa for 16 days in December 2012. I would recommend anyone to go. I was fortunate enough to stay with my brother who lives in Cape Town and like most he lives in a gated community. This is the norm there, though we do have friends who like we do in avenues of houses.
Like all cities and towns there are areas that you take care going into, but as there are so many organised tours when you get there you tend to be surrounded by other people. I went on a two day organised safari from Cape Town on my own and at no stage on that trip did I feel insecure or threatened.
Its like everywhere else in the world, as a tourist you take care to ensure you are part of a group if you are going into say the townships, and you dont go around flashing cash or possessions. I cant comment for all of South Africa, only Cape Town but I would happily to there on my own, in fact I meet a female there who was out on business and ate out and did all the tourist things on her own.
Kathy, that is so re-assuring to know. I will be flying into Cape Town alone in a few weeks time and was a bit apprehensive about exploring the city. I will only be there for 2 days on my own before I join a tour which I have already paid for but after reading this, it has confirmed what I had expected - that all cities and towns have areas where you need to be more cautious. Even in North Wales where I live, I wouldn't really like to be walking alone in some parts of the nearby towns (where serious crime is very rare) late at night. I think it's just a matter of being cautious and not knowingly putting yourself in a vulnerable situation.
I am also going to be alone in Johannesburg for 1 night after the tour ends before flying to India, I am a bit more anxious about going there, since one of my colleagues told me that when his wife and him went there on honeymoon, they felt scared (of getting mugged or attacked) throughout their visit. But I will only be there for 20 hours to wait for my connecting flight i.e. not really long enough to do a tour or anything, so I might just get a nice hotel and pamper myself that day to recuperate after 3 weeks overlanding in the heat and dust of the African wilderness!
Ceri