2010 in danger, warns US envoy

[IamCanadian]

Interesting article on the new US envoy to SA.

Several quotes:

“I look at things somewhat simplistically on occasion and the issue for me is this: who is going to be interested in spending a significant amount of money coming here on holiday, to have a good time, when you’re concerned about the possibility of getting hurt?”

“In the three and a half months that I have been here, I have never, ever seen a local police officer just drive through [my neighbourhood] in a car. “I’m not there a lot, but on occasion you would think that just through happenstance you would see somebody — just once or twice,” he said.

He said South Africa was a wonderful country with fantastic potential, but the balance sheet of positives and negatives was tilting towards the negative.

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=326960

 

[supersunbird]

Yes, the police are almost totally a reactive force...

 

[JBFRobisher]

Tell him to have it in Iraq - after all, the USA has that nicely under control.

 

[Vrotappel]

Tell him to have it in Iraq - after all, the USA has that nicely under control.

Who cares about Iraq - He's got legitimate concerns about South Africa that needs to be addressed.

 

[JBFRobisher]

He's got legitimate concerns about South Africa that needs to be addressed.

This are true. I get annoyed though when the envoy of the biggest warmongers on the planet come preach about safety and security.

 

[nthdimension]

Do people who would travel across the world to watch soccer really care about some danger? Will they even think about it?

I see police cars and vans travelling around every day.

Are the locations where the games are going to be held much more dangerous than the most dangerous cities in the US? Washington being one of them.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting the impression that there is a contingent out there determined to sabotage the 2010 World Cup. They want it to fail so they can shout, "I told you so."

 

[kingmonty]

Do people who would travel across the world to watch soccer really care about some danger? Will they even think about it?

I see police cars and vans travelling around every day.

Are the locations where the games are going to be held much more dangerous than the most dangerous cities in the US? Washington being one of them.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting the impression that there is a contingent out there determined to sabotage the 2010 World Cup. They want it to fail so they can shout, "I told you so."

Then prove them wrong. A good start will be firing Charles Nqakula - not just because as a Safety & Security minister he really sux, but because of his rather idiotic random ramblings, like trying to give the 2010SWC a racist spin. Step 2, sack Danny Jordaan. He cannot organise a prossie in a brothel. And he doesn't even know how to have an ontime press briefing. Step 3, fire every potentially corrupt individual in the LOC. If I was found guilty of insurance fraud and tax evasion, I definitely will not be allowed to be in charge of Billions of Rand to organise arguably the biggest sporting event in the world. So what makes Irvin Khoza so special? Finally, stop bull****ting us. We can see that there's no progress. We're not stupid, and the international committee is not stupid. Saying thigs like "We're on track, in fact FIFA has asked us to slow down" is nothing more than ****ing bull****. Stop it. Just stop it. Keep it transparent and keep it true, then maybe the negativity will start to disappear.

 

[nivek]

This are true. I get annoyed though when the envoy of the biggest warmongers on the planet come preach about safety and security.

they might be warmongers, but security at home is alot better there than we have here, they are preaching SA on common crime, not how to defend yourself against a war..

 

[nivek]

Do people who would travel across the world to watch soccer really care about some danger? Will they even think about it?

I see police cars and vans travelling around every day.

Are the locations where the games are going to be held much more dangerous than the most dangerous cities in the US? Washington being one of them.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting the impression that there is a contingent out there determined to sabotage the 2010 World Cup. They want it to fail so they can shout, "I told you so."

You must be joking? There were 205 murders in Washington in 2005.. The only stats I could find on JHB was 695 for the same year, on SAPS's website, but erm.. thats extremely hard to believe
http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/r.../stations/gauteng/johannesburg/area_total.pdf

 

[killadoob]

Tell him to have it in Iraq - after all, the USA has that nicely under control.

errrm dude did that guy send the troops in?

he is in SA looking at our country not IRAQ boet

so should we say this:

dont worry if you come here in 2010 get raped murdered and mugged because its not as bad as IRAQ

 

[RichardP]

This are true. I get annoyed though when the envoy of the biggest warmongers on the planet come preach about safety and security.

When will alot of the SA public wake up and smell the coffee!!! Just 'cos the statement was made by an American, doesnt make him a warmonger - REMEMBER - Bush has just been politically crippled by the opposition party. If a British politician said it, your attack would have been "Thats rich coming from a supporter of the USA's war machine" ... and from Afganistan "Thats rich coming from a country that has al-quida"

Will you walk through any suburb in South Africa at 3am? .. and if you say yes, I will challenge you to do it. Please take you head out your **** and look around - There is a BIG problem, denying it doesnt make it better, it makes it worse.

Have you ever been hijacked? Attacked in your house? Burgled? How much do you pay for an external security company to protect you? Does you car have tracking in it ?

Burying your head in the sand does nothing ... SA has a problem - now lets stand together and FIX IT! bitching and whining does absolutely nothing!

 

[noxibox]

Take it up with FIFA if you think South Africa is behind schedule. They are the ones who have repeatedly stated South Africa is not just on track, but ahead of schedule.

 

[nthdimension]

There were 205 murders in Washington in 2005.. The only stats I could find on JHB was 695 for the same year

Absolute figures or per X population?

 

[Syndyre]

Burying your head in the sand does nothing ... SA has a problem - now lets stand together and FIX IT! bitching and whining does absolutely nothing!

Exactly, I'm so sick of people saying its just as bad in big cities overseas etc. Its not, you can't compare the worst areas overseas with the best ones in SA anyway. Yes there may be some bad areas overseas, but its in a limited area, in SA the crime is bad virtually everywhere.

 

[nivek]

Take it up with FIFA if you think South Africa is behind schedule. They are the ones who have repeatedly stated South Africa is not just on track, but ahead of schedule.

How are we on track? we havent even started building stadiums yet.. the planning might be there, and we might be ahead of the schedule (if we were anywhere else in the world) does fifa know how long it takes to get something done on S. AFRICAN time?

 

[MyDraadloos]

The problem is that we have gotten so used to living with crime that an outside perspective seems odd.

We live behind 6 foot barbed wire electrified fences. Our paranoia has sprouted countless industries that gladly take our money to give us a false sense of security.

In a way the insurance and security industries are supported by the apathy of government.

I don't see how they will fix the current set of affairs without being able to scare the living bejezus out of the criminals. Instead it is the police and the public that are running scared.

Most people from the northern hemisphere don't have the street smarts to survive on our mean streets.

Even UK soccer hooligans will get robbed and sodomized before exiting the airport terminal.

 

[Syndyre]

Take it up with FIFA if you think South Africa is behind schedule. They are the ones who have repeatedly stated South Africa is not just on track, but ahead of schedule.

Of course their public statements are to this effect. They wouldn't want to jeopardise all their sponsorship details etc. We of course have no idea what's been said in private which is probably far more interesting!

 

[noxibox]

How are we on track?

Why don't you go ask FIFA? They say the country is at least where they should be at this point to be ready to host the games in 2010. They're the ones who are going to look really foolish if they've been spouting rubbish.

 

[noxibox]

Of course their public statements are to this effect. They wouldn't want to jeopardise all their sponsorship details etc. We of course have no idea what's been said in private which is probably far more interesting!

The point is that all the naysayers have no more factual information for claiming the country cannot be ready in time or for claiming that people won't come to the event.

Has someone done a survey of soccer fans to see how many have said they absolutely will not come?

 

[RichardP]

The point is that all the naysayers have no more factual information for claiming the country cannot be ready in time or for claiming that people won't come to the event.

Has someone done a survey of soccer fans to see how many have said they absolutely will not come?

I know personally about 10 Soccer fanatics that definitely wont come... they tell 10 of their friends, their friends tell 10 more people... the numbers grow quickly..

Why watch Soccer in a gutter country when you can watch in HDTV. BTW, the average european thinks SA is a country filled with animals and squatter camps all over the place. I am YET to see Sandton on the news in the UK, its allways some squatter camp that has just burnt down... also, there is no differentiation between Africa and South Africa in the minds of most europeans.