Hi Guys & Girls
I am a South African and proud to be one.
I also acknowledge that the country (probably one of the nicest places on earth) does have its problems with crime and especially violent attacks and robberies such as the one supposedly described earlier.
We also have a very different problem as my one Israeli friend recently put it:
We try to apply standards and methods that work perfectly in the 1st world to a country that really is part of the 3rd world
- I do agree that when mugged by an armed thug in the 1st world it is probably safest to comply and you will probably live and not get hurt.
- However if we study the available details (though limited at best) of crime in South Africa carefully we find that in most cases the thugs will steal your cash and stuff. They will then in all probability rape the ladies before killing them and also kill the men, before making off.
- This leads to several problems of which the determination of weather to fight back or not is one. Basic techniques of hand to hand combat as probably taught to most Cabin Crew members will often save the day.
The fact that so many people in South Africa have decided not to be a victim of crime but part of the solution has made many neighbourhoods safer places.
Our community have started and have also now started learning how to resist even armed attackers while not even being armed ourselves. And beleive it is not rocket science just basic common sense and suitable techniques that are employed. The crime rate in our area has declined.
What I am saying is there is an appropriate response to every situation and to be a passive victim in not always the right response especially in a country like South Africa.
HF