# Some Helpful Advice for Visitors to South Africa



## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

The SA Police Service have issued this helpful Advice.
You need to follow it all the time.
A Moments Lapse could be fatal.
News24 Health today.

Prevent car hijacking 
Your driveway, your car, a guy with a gun. Sound unlikely? It shouldn’t. It happens to South Africans every day. 

It has become difficult to steal cars with the many anti-theft security devices in use. It is simply easier to steal a car that has someone in it who has the keys and/or the immobiliser on them.


There are lots of things you can do to prevent injury and a hijacking. The following tips were given by the South African Police Services:

Check out the scene. When you walk towards your car, look around you. Check if you're being followed, especially if you've just come from the bank or the airport. If you're not sure whether someone is following you, go past your car, or go into a shop or other establishment. Keep your keys ready in your hand when you do approach your car, so you don't waste time looking for them.

Loading can distract you. Many people get hijacked when they're loading stuff into their cars. Don't leave the car open while you're loading stuff into the boot. Your attention is distracted and you are an easy hijacking target. Rather pay for parking in well-lit and busy parking garages, than trying to save a few rands by parking in the middle of nowhere. When you're at home, don't offload stuff until you're securely inside your property. If you think there's any danger, leave the stuff in the car and get to the safety of your house as quickly as possible. 

Lock up behind you. Once inside the car, lock the doors immediately and start the car. Don’t open windows wide enough to allow a hand to fit through. If you think someone might be following you, don’t go home, but drive to the nearest police station or well-lit place where there are security guards and many other people.

Keep to the middle. When approaching an intersection, drive in the centre lane to make it harder for people to approach you. Leave enough space between yourself and the car in front that you can manoeuvre around it.

Check behind you. Monitor all vehicles travelling behind you. There could be more than one vehicle involved and they could be setting a trap for you. If you think you are in danger, attract the attention of other motorists or pedestrians. Use the hooter, flash your lights, put on your emergency lights and shout.

Fender-bender fiasco. If your car has been hit from behind, stay in your car. Once you are sure it’s not a hijacking, get out and inspect the damage. Hijackers often dent a car in order to get the driver out of it.

Stranger danger. If a suspicious person approaches you, especially at night or in a deserted area, drive off quickly from a stop street or intersection, but do pay careful attention to the traffic.

Traffic light terror. Be on the lookout for anyone approaching your car, or lingering at traffic lights, stop streets, parking areas or driveways. Don’t be distracted by vendors or people handing out flyers at intersections.

Samaritans can get robbed. Accident scenes can sometimes be set up as a trap. Don’t stop unless you are convinced it is real. Use your cellphone to report the accident. It has happened in the past that ‘injured passengers’ turn out to be hijackers. If you are unsure of what to do and you don't have your cellphone on you, drive to the nearest police station and report the incident.

Coming and going. Ensure that the area around your gate is well-lit. When opening your garage door or gates, don’t leave your car door open and the engine running. Criminals can act much faster than you expect. Many hijackings occur while victims wait for the gate to open. If there are suspicious-looking people hanging around, drive round the block or phone your security company and get them to escort you in. Don’t take any chances, especially late at night and early in he morning. Those are favourite hijacking times.

Roadblocks for real? If you encounter an unusual or unexpected roadblock, keep your windows closed and doors locked. Ask the police or traffic officer for an identity card. Show them your identity document through the window.

The real thing. If you are being hijacked, try to stay calm, follow instructions, but look scared. The hijacker wants to feel he has power over you. Don't stare at the hijacker – this could be interpreted as defiance. Don't argue, or scream, especially if you suspect the hijacker may have a weapon. Rather give up your car. It's worth a lot less than your life.

No sudden moves. If you need to reach inside your pocket or bag to get something the hijacker wanted, warn your hijacker beforehand, but make sure that he can see your hands at all times. Answer all questions truthfully and ask the hijacker to repeat something if you do not understand.

Don’t be a cowboy. Do everything to convince the hijacker that you are co-operating. If you annoy a hijacker, he may take out his aggression on either you or your passengers.

Follow instructions. If you are told to get out of the car, wait for the hijacker to open the door or wait until instructed to do so. Open the door slowly with one hand keep the other hand visible. Once outside slowly move away from the car so as not to appear as a threat. 

Take note. Make mental notes of the hijacker’s appearance, how many there are of them and any of their physical characteristics that stand out. This could help you later in identifying them.

Child alert. If there is a sleeping child in the back seat, alert the hijackers. Reassure them that the child is not a threat and would make things difficult for them. Wait until instructed to release the child.

PIN numbers. If you are forced to accompany the hijacker in your car, this is usually to make sure that no anti-hijacking devices are triggered. If they ask for PIN numbers on cards, give it to them. Set the limit of cash you can draw on one day quite low, as this will limit the amount of money that can be stolen in one go from you.

Once the hijacker has gone, get away from the area as quickly as possible, and get to a phone to call for help.

Other safety hints


Never walk around alone and don’t talk to strangers. Be on the lookout for strange cars or people.

Make sure your home is secure, and become a member of an armed response service. Be sure that you know all the emergency numbers.

Always let someone know where you are going and how long you will be gone.

Take self-defence lessons.

Sources: SAPS homepage


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Like in Ireland :
Visitors to Ireland - crime prevention-Information from CitizensInformation.ie

In fact, you should ba aware of the risks wherever you are (don't be a stupid tourist, for example)


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

arnaud said:


> Like in Ireland :
> Visitors to Ireland - crime prevention-Information from CitizensInformation.ie
> 
> In fact, you should ba aware of the risks wherever you are (don't be a stupid tourist, for example)


Arnaud, you are so funny!!
have you actually bothered to read the Irish warning site??
Handbags, Pickpockets, cars might be broken into??
The kind of stuff ,if there is no Insurance claim you will struggle to get it reported.
try it at the Midrand SAPS station, go and report that you have lost a handbag .

My post is from the SA Police website, Arnaud, its what the South African Police to advise you to do.
Its no guarantee of course, but it might save a life or two.
Thats what they are trying to do, Arnaud.
Because you chose to go and live there, you should read it and act accordingly.
.


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## Stevan (Jun 30, 2009)

*Tips for visiting the artic*

Tourist saftey tips from the artic tourist police.

Do not eat yellow snow.

Watch out for big white bears they will eat you.


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## Halo (May 8, 2008)

Stevan said:


> Tourist saftey tips from the artic tourist police.
> 
> Do not eat yellow snow.
> 
> Watch out for big white bears they will eat you.


Wise words.... :clap2:


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Daxk said:


> Arnaud, you are so funny!!
> have you actually bothered to read the Irish warning site??
> Handbags, Pickpockets, cars might be broken into??
> The kind of stuff ,if there is no Insurance claim you will struggle to get it reported.
> ...


Daxk, you are right. I found this :
Homecoming Revolution

Ok this seems to be a little bit propaganda, but whatever. Crime is rampant in South Africa, Cape Town is the 5th most dangerous city in the world (after New Orleans, Baltimore...), but it does not mean life here is impossible.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Arnaud, I have never said life there is impossible, I have often said that living in SA does not mean you are guaranteed to get robbed,murdered or raped.
If you bothered to read a bit of the forum you would have seen that.
I have also said that SA is a beautiful Country with lots of opportunities, that its people are the absolute best, that I love the country and wish it had been possible that my daughter could grow up there.

But what I have also said is that, unlike Ireland (That you try and post about) and the rest of the World, if Crime does find you in SA its a biggie. Its life Changing.

Although alot of the Armed Home Invasions are pre-planned,usually with the help of the maid or gardener, the Hi-jackings which escalate into a home invasion are based on opportunity.
The Criminals are looking for one and someone creates that opportunity.
someone who has been living in the Country for a couple of years does the awareness habit as if its second nature.
Someone else who arrives having been told by other people that its all safe, that its all just bitter racist twisted expats who hate South Africa, create opportunities for criminals because SA is NOT the same as where ever else they came from.

People make mistakes, silly mistakes, without realising it.

So when Arnaud says come to Midrand, there's no crime here, and I have lived in Midrand and know the areas around Johannesburg and Pretoria and lots of SA like the back of my hand,
and talk to people, Family and friends throughout SA sometimes on a weekly basis,
and have accurate credible knowledge that Midrand is not th safe place Arnaud makes it out to be, then I correct that iformation.
And if someone like Arnaud then accuses me of racism , I tend to get a bit irritated with Arnaud.

The Homecoming Revoution?
yes, we know each other well.
Its sole function is to bring SA skills back to SA.
It was started by an Advertising Agency/Public Relations Company called MorrisJones.

It glosses over crime and other problems in SA calling them "challenges"
It minimises and does not report anything negative.
It was recognised and thanked by the ANC in a Presidential address by Thabo Mbeki.
It is funded by First National for the past 5 years if I recall for about two million rand a year.
First National have a large number of Govt Bank Accounts. 
They remove any Negative accounts of personal crime from their Facebook and twitter sites.

Their sole function is to bring skills back.
So, yes, I agree ,I think they are propaganda too.


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## GOULDY (Apr 25, 2009)

Hi Daxk,
You seem to be the man in the know.
Just a quick question.
My wife and I are planning on moving to Brackendowns- Alberton, to be closer to her family.
Good spot or bad?
Thanks...


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi Gouldy, sorry about the delay in replying, I had three friends in Brackendowns/Meyersdal, one killed and two left.
Its an A-Income suburb much the same as most affluent Nortnern Suburbs and attracts about the same amount of crime in stages.
The best thing to do is to google SAPS Crime Stats by Station, that will give you access to all crime as reported to all Police stations in SA by Suburb.
The other service I subscribe to for its emergency sms service is E-Blockwatch and that also gives some info dependent on how many people subscribe from a suburb and bother to post on that.
That shows burglaries, armed robberies of the Spar,Bottle store and garage in Andries Str,
etc
What tends to happen is an area gets hit, people get motivated, they get the Blockwatch going again, the criminals move to the next suburb, people stop contributing, all goes quiet again, the criminals come back etc.

Crime Statistics | Per Station


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Alberton :
26 murders / year
http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2008/_provinces/gauteng/pdf/alberton.pdf
Population : about 200,000 (Alberton, Gauteng - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), so 13 murders per 100,000 inhabitants (like Helsinki, Finland)

As for Brackendows :
http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2008/_provinces/gauteng/pdf/brackendowns.pdf
9 murders / year

I would be please to know how many citizens live here in Brackendows, for comparison

Here a comparison with european cities :
Dublin murder rate is one of Europe's highest - City News, National News - Herald.ie

Alberton is less safe than a standard european city but more than most big american cities :
United States cities by crime rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
btw, Eastern Europe is much worse.

As Daxk said, please take care and it should be ok


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Dublin has 505,000 inhabitants, Alberton of which Brackendowns is a small suburb is 205,000.
so you have to add in all the suburbs of Alberton and then do a murder per thousand
So Taking two stations only Alberton and Brackendowns (ecluding Meyersdal and all the smaller stations)
Murder35, (where do you get 13 from?)
Rape 40
Robbery Residential (Armed invasions,in your home) 108
Hi-Jacking 225
How does that compare to Helsinki?

(Brackendowns on its own is probably less than 5000 people).
So tell me, Arnaud,

Can I act in SA as I would in Helsinki or Dublin and all those other European Cities?

That article you linked to? 65 Murders for Dublin??
http://www.cso.ie/Quicktables/GetQu...me=Homicide+Offences&StatisticalProduct=DB_CJ

Ireland, with a population of 4.5 Million had 50 murders

Finland had a total murder count of 132 and Helsinki, has a population of 560,000

Are you saying that people can come to SA and do exactly as they did overseas?


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## GOULDY (Apr 25, 2009)

Thanks a lot guys. Thats good food for thought.


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## JoziJoe (Mar 21, 2008)

Daxk wrote:


> It glosses over crime and other problems in SA calling them "challenges"


This made me smile, it is so true!. Crime is now a "challenge".

They assign a new term to an old problem and the world thinks it is a new phenomenon, less evil than it's predecessor.

White on Black Racism, introduced under British Rule, clandestinely implemented as "Bills" or "Acts", (Natives in Urban Areas Bill), were never assigned an official term.

The Afrikaner Nationalists, monkey see monkey do style, thought it best to declare the existing policy official and gave it a name, "Apartheid". Their "honesty" was their biggest mistake, peeved off the Crown big time.

The current Black on Black genocide in Zimbabwe, twisting to ethnic cleansing once illegal Zimbabwean Refugees cross the South African border, has been termed "Xenophobia".

Let us not forget that the British took initiative and abolished the Slave Trade!
:clap2:
They now call it Cheap Black Labour!

De Beers is wooing a new mistress all over the place these days!


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Daxk said:


> Dublin has 505,000 inhabitants, Alberton of which Brackendowns is a small suburb is 205,000.
> so you have to add in all the suburbs of Alberton and then do a murder per thousand
> So Taking two stations only Alberton and Brackendowns (ecluding Meyersdal and all the smaller stations)
> Murder35, (where do you get 13 from?)
> ...


For Alberton, only Maths

As for Brackenddowns, are you sure the total population is around 5,000 ?
It would say that Brackendowns is much more dangerous than Alexandra or Hillbrow. (accordining to you, there are 1,800 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, 20 times higher than Hillbrow. Please give facts)
You must be wrong.

As I said, according to the latest stats, Alberton as a murder rate 5 times higher than in Dublin. This is worse than most western european cities, but better than eastern european one or American one


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Arnaud,do you have problms with maths?
Brackendown Police station had 9 murders 2007/8 its a small suburb, I estimate about 5000 people.
However, as I'm estimating the size I added Brackendowns to Alberton,of which it is a suburb.

Alberton has 205,000 and of its two stations reported 35 murders. thats .17 murders per thousand or one murder per 6000 people in one year.

wheree do you get 1800 from?


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Daxk said:


> Arnaud,do you have problms with maths?
> Brackendown Police station had 9 murders 2007/8 its a small suburb, I estimate about 5000 people.
> However, as I'm estimating the size I added Brackendowns to Alberton,of which it is a suburb.
> 
> ...


According to these stats :
http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2008/_provinces/gauteng/pdf/alberton.pdf
26 muders, so 13 murders per 100,000 (26 -> 205,000, so 13 -> 100,000)

And according to this :
http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2008/_provinces/gauteng/pdf/brackendowns.pdf
9 murders, so if population in Brackensdows == 5,000, that means 180 murders per 100,000, 2 times more than Hilbrow (sorry for my mistake, but you should also be mistaken)


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Arnaud, Have you been to Hillbrow lately?
or Thembisa, or Soweto?
Do you think a home in an Affluent suburb such as brackendowns or Meyersdal (been to them???) or Sandton or Fourways or Midrand has more to offer than a rented flat in Hillbrow?

Now do you think you could answer my questions?
I asked you how many Home invasions and rapes and Hi-jackings there were in Helsinki and Dublin?
I also asked you:
"Can I act in SA as I would in Helsinki or Dublin and all those other European Cities?

That article you linked to? 65 Murders for Dublin??
http://www.cso.ie/Quicktables/GetQui...lProduct=DB_CJ

Ireland, with a population of 4.5 Million had 50 murders

Finland had a total murder count of 132 and Helsinki, has a population of 560,000

Are you saying that people can come to SA and do exactly as they did overseas?


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## JoziJoe (Mar 21, 2008)

Crime Statistics reported by the South African Police should be used as a guide only by Tourists and new Immigrants. A lot of serious crime go unreported.

2 Factors affect Crime Stats Reporting in SA :

Ability to Report Crime
The SAP is not technologically equipped to deal with SA Crime Levels effectively. Their computer & communications systems are outdated and unreliable.
There is not enough, reliable police vehicles to patrol areas or rush to a crime.
More and more people are relying on other security systems to deal with crime.

Willingness to Report Crime
There is not enough Police, they are badly paid and a lot of them are corrupt.
The Government has been known to implement news blackouts on reporting serious crime.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

So Arnaud, Phone Eskom or the Alberton Town Council, ask them how many houses in Brackendowns, the SA Census said that A-Income group areas have 2 adults with 2.2 children per house.
Do the math.
Why are you trying so hard to disprove facts that are reported on the SA Police Service statistics
I dont make them up.
They are official statistics, and sometimes shown to be under-reported.


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## JoziJoe (Mar 21, 2008)

Some of my Tips:

1) PETS
A lot of immigrants think of bringing their pets to serve as security. If you pamper your pet and treat him as part of the family, kit him out with fashionable doggy gear, etc, he is unfit to serve as security in South African conditions. Don't leave your dog outside in the garden at night, poisoning dogs to gain access to premises is commonplace.

2)DOMESTIC HELP
Employing a Domestic Maid or Gardener is still common practice in South Africa, even more so in the post Mandela era, due to huge unemployment and over supply of unskilled labour. They prove to be a major security risk, often providing inside information to crime gangs.


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