Former Springbok in hot water

[semiautomatix]

Former World Cup winning Springbok Joost van der Westhuizen is facing a criminal charge of malicious damage to property following an alleged incident at an upmarket golf estate.

Police spokesperson Bala Muthan told the Cape Argus from Johannesburg on Thursday morning that the alleged drama occurred at Dainfern Golf Estate and Country Club in Douglasdale last Wednesday.

The former Bok scrumhalf had apparently arrived at the estate to watch his son play soccer. However, he had no documentation with which to identify himself, so guards had refused him entry.

"You should have some form of identification but on this particular day Mr Van der Westhuizen had no ID, no driver's licence, so he was not permitted to enter according to the policy of the estate," Muthan explained.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080424114454876C350318

You know, I can completely understand. These security guards can be so infuriatingly stupid that I can't blame Joost. They think because they have a badge and paper clip they are in charge of the entire building (or estate, in this case).

However, should their buddies come along they aren't even questioned. I've been to Dainfern after receiving a lift after dropping my car off for a service. The security guard at Dainfern didn't even look twice at the driver from Audi and just let us in.

Double standards, and I have been subject to them before. Give them a little power and it goes to their heads. You can understand how a man like Robert Mugabe is created.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

"Stop frowing me wif couscous"

 

[semiautomatix]

"Stop frowing me wif couscous"

The worst are security guards at government departments. They change their rules every day. I've parked in front of the boom before just to piss these guys off - they won't even bother to help you find out why you haven't been put on the access list. "Uh, sorry, I haf no phone in my boof".

 

[ernstn]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080424114454876C350318

Give them a little power and it goes to their heads. You can understand how a man like Robert Mugabe is created.

Interestingly enough, hardtalk on BBC World featured a professor from Stanford University in the USA that conducted an experiment using normal students in a guard and prisoner simulation during the sixties.

Apparently these normal "guards" then proceeded to treat the "prisoners" so badly psycologically that they had to abandon the experiment after a few weeks.

He used this experiment to justify the excesses the US committed on the Iraqi's POW's

 

[Ecco]

If he didn't check ID and supposedly the guy who entered committed a crime, you would full on be blaming the guard for not doing his job properly.

All the guards are not the same, don't complain about this guy for doing his job properly. If other guards don't do their job, rather complain about them.

 

[Keeper]

couldn't they have taken his numberplate?

you can't stop crime in an estate by taking IDs anyway - ever heard of a thing called a fake ID?

If someone is planning on commiting a crime inside the estate, he would provide a fake ID wouldn't he?

 

[Surv0]

I often visit a client there while in JHB and everytime they ask me for drivers license....
Depends on the guy at the gate...
Very nice Golf Estate i have to admit though... such greeness... im gonna take my clubs next time... ne1 for a round?

 

[chiskop]

couldn't they have taken his numberplate?

you can't stop crime in an estate by taking IDs anyway - ever heard of a thing called a fake ID?

If someone is planning on commiting a crime inside the estate, he would provide a fake ID wouldn't he?

So what are you saying - throw open the gates?

Why didn't joost has even his driver's license on him?

 

[Ecco]

couldn't they have taken his numberplate?

you can't stop crime in an estate by taking IDs anyway - ever heard of a thing called a fake ID?

If someone is planning on commiting a crime inside the estate, he would provide a fake ID wouldn't he?

He could come with a fake number plate and licence disc as well.

 

[themba gx]

I don't understand what the gripe is about. The Estate sets the rules and these guards were following these rules. Why did Joost not have his driver's licence at lease?

 

[semiautomatix]

I don't understand what the gripe is about. The Estate sets the rules and these guards were following these rules. Why did Joost not have his driver's licence at lease?

Again, I refer to the comment made above: "Can you then phone through for my buddy?"
"No, I haf no phone in my boof. No card, no entrance."
"Er... alright, I'll drive back to Pretoria and fetch it then. Sure, I would have missed then entire game. But you know buddy, as long as you're happy. Yup, I'm here in my R800 000 SUV to come and nick some widescreen TVs. I suffer from Winona Ryderism."

I'm waiting for the day they try that on a public road. Then I throw the constitution at them.

 

[Keeper]

He could come with a fake number plate and licence disc as well.

if someone with a little knowledge of our country worked at the boof, they would of known it's joost.


oh, and PS - if you could fake all Identification, ID, Licence, License Disc & Numberplate, then that means EITHER ONE WILL DO (cause how u know which one is faked??! )
you just need some form of ID. and I think more IDs are under questioning than Numberplates.

 

[Devill]

I don't understand what the gripe is about. The Estate sets the rules and these guards were following these rules. Why did Joost not have his driver's licence at lease?

+1

We complain when people get robbed in security villages but we dont want to follow the rules that are there to protect us

 

[Alan]

No identification, no entry sorry

 

[rabbiddog]

At Dainfern even if you have a valid ID - no entry. They want to scan your drivers license (which I have been told is ilegal without authorization), just producing ID is not enough, even after calling the resident and confirming who you are.
Now they have all your details etc which opens you up for fraud, ID theft and theft for any one working in the security company who is a criminal.

I Don't blame Joost

 

[Ecco]

Again, I refer to the comment made above: "Can you then phone through for my buddy?"
"No, I haf no phone in my boof. No card, no entrance."
"Er... alright, I'll drive back to Pretoria and fetch it then. Sure, I would have missed then entire game. But you know buddy, as long as you're happy. Yup, I'm here in my R800 000 SUV to come and nick some widescreen TVs. I suffer from Winona Ryderism."

I'm waiting for the day they try that on a public road. Then I throw the constitution at them.

Dude you complain about crime, and black people not doing their jobs properly. When a guy does do his job properly and in a bid to prevent crime you moan about him.
What do you want man, make up your mind.

Keeper, even if Joost is famous, doesnt mean everybody in the country knows who he is. For some people, rugby is not a sport they are interested in or have the time to watch - they wouldn't know Joost. And what are we saying celebrities all of a sudden deserve special treatment?

 

[Skinner]

Joost van der Westhuizen incident!

I was no maniac, says Joost
25/04/2008 08:35 - (SA)

Johannesburg - Joost van der Westhuizen, 37, former Springbok and Blue Bulls rugby captain, had to cough up R15 000 on Thursday when police wanted to arrest him for alleged malicious damage to property.

This came after he apparently forced open a boom last week at Dainfern Estate and drove in through the Cedar-Road entrance.

From: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2312106,00.html

Typical security guard behaviour... I wonder if it was a BLACK rugby player entering, if they would have been equally difficult with him?

 

[EtienneK]

Security guards go on power trips. I have had quite a few problems with campus security at UJ when I was still a student there.

They have no common sense.

 

[Ecco]

From: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2312106,00.html

Typical security guard behaviour... I wonder if it was a BLACK rugby player entering, if they would have been equally difficult with him?

The guy did his job and everybody is making a big fuss about it because it was Joost van der Westhuizen. There is actually no issue here. Joost was wrong, and he also damaged somebody elses property.

If the guard did let in black rugby player without ID or for that matter anybody without id, then there is a reason to to make an issue out of this. No point wondering about this. When it happens, if it happens, report the guard to his superiors/owner of the complex etc instead of moaning on a discussion forum.

 

[curiouswanderer]

From: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2312106,00.html

Typical security guard behaviour... I wonder if it was a BLACK rugby player entering, if they would have been equally difficult with him?

Don't make this a race issue. I don't know if you guys know what has happened at Dairfern golf estate around 18-24 months ago where most of the residents were robbed at gunpoint. They did find out at the end it was some police officer that got a couple of ppl to rent a place and robbed the places one by one. The robbers would torture the residents with an iron or put a plastic bad over someone's head and try to extort money. One of my friends was a victim.

I'd rather prefer the security guys being strict about it than to let random people in regardless of who they are. Most of them take instructions anyway from their superiors so no use blaming them. U do get the odd dumb or arrogant one but I think for Dainfern, the strict rules I think are justified.