'Journos' robbed in New Zealand

genetic

genetic

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http://www.iol.co.za:80/sport/rugby/kiwi-crooks-leave-journos-out-of-pocket-1.1150739

Wellington - As New Zealand politicians argued about who should take credit for the drop in crime rates in their country, several South African journalists were left counting the cost of becoming the victims of crime at the Rugby World Cup.

Two South African photographers were robbed of R60 000 of equipment in Auckland early on Saturday morning after the Springbok-Samoa group match at the North Harbour Stadium.

Christiaan Kotze, sports photographer for Media24, and Barry Aldworth, of Backpage Pix, had their hired car broken into in a secure parking in Auckland beside one of the drop-off points for the official media shuttle.

“I lost two computers, photographic bags, peripheral photographic equipment, some money, some clothes, my new Oakley sunglasses and the tent we’ve been staying in,” said Aldworth on Tuesday. “They didn’t get our cameras and lenses because we had them with us. We were told it was safe to park there and did so expecting it to be okay. I guess that was wrong.”

Kotze and Aldworth have been following the Springboks around New Zealand in a hired car and sleeping in a tent, to save costs. But now they are left without a place to stay and had to pay NZ$1 500 (around R10 000) in excess for their hired car, which was “trashed by the guys who broke into it”, said Kotze.

“They must have crashed into our car with the getaway car. We’re seriously out of pocket here.” The pair are staying with friends in Wellington.

The theft comes a few days after a hired car belonging to SuperSport.com journalists Brenden Nel and Gavin Rich, was broken into in the parking lot of their hotel in Auckland. An iPod was taken and a window smashed.

Early on Tuesday morning, New Zealand time, Owen Nkumane, the SuperSport presenter, posted on Facebook: “It’s 3.30am and I’ve been woken up by gunshots”.

His hotel is on the waterfront on the Viaduct, near Auckland’s Party Central.

Pretoria News journalist Vata Ngobeni has not received an apology from the Taupo police after he was detained on suspicion of selling illegal drugs in the resort city. Ngobeni was detained because he apparently matched the description of a man who had allegedly tried to sell drugs.

Ngobeni explained that he was a journalist and offered to let the officers search him there and then, but they insisted he accompany them to the police station.

He was eventually released with profuse apologies by the officer, but Ngobeni and the South African media contingent on tour with the Springboks considered it a racist incident.

Ngobeni has received support from Saru president Regan Hoskins, while the International Rugby Board and the Rugby World Cup company have tendered their apologies.

Last year during the Fifa World Cup in South Africa, Chris Rattue, a sports writer with the New Zealand Herald, wrote a story headlined: “So close to escaping hellhole of Jo’burg.”

“One way or other, the All Whites (the New Zealand soccer team) will be out of this hellhole in days, and we will be off with them,” wrote Rattue.
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TIA.
 
where are allantwo to comments?

sleeping already?
 
At least they dont shoot people to get the goods.

Crime is everywhere, in SA we just do it a tad more violent :)
 
Aqua_lung said:
The crime in this country!... oh wait.
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I recall investigating crime differences and it turned out that the daily violent crime rate in SA = annual NZ rate. Granted per population size differs, but still. +- to have NZ's annual crime crammed into a day in SA is saying something.
 
alloytoo said:
I guess he was having a flashback to Nam(ibia)

No mention in local press, and gunshots would be newsworthy.
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+1

I stayed in NZ for 2 years and trust me if someone was shot because of crime they would milk the poor story for weeks to come. We talking about a country that when a hooker was murdered and it was top news for like 3 weeks none stop.
 
...Pretoria News journalist Vata Ngobeni has not received an apology from the Taupo police after he was detained on suspicion of selling illegal drugs ...
...

He was eventually released with profuse apologies ...
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errm ... WTF??? :confused:
 
Flanders said:
Oh come on. If things were really comparable then crimes like this http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Man-held-for-executing-family-20111003 would surely be harped on about for weeks on our TV news. This one wasn't even mentioned. I could start listing the murders from this weekend alone but you get the picture.
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Yet some Yank in Spain is deemed more important too. What about the Leigh Matthews case? So long as you're a pretty white girl you'll get the coverage it seems.
 
Fudzy said:
Yet some Yank in Spain is deemed more important too. What about the Leigh Matthews case? So long as you're a pretty white girl you'll get the coverage it seems.
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That's news for you - anything unusual makes for 'good reading'... that and your target audience... if they're going to buy papers as a result, then you print.

How many 'nameless' people don't go through the same thing daily, but don't make the papers becuase they aren't 'interesting' to the reader base.
 
SaladCharger said:
That's news for you - anything unusual makes for 'good reading'... that and your target audience... if they're going to buy papers as a result, then you print.

How many 'nameless' people don't go through the same thing daily, but don't make the papers becuase they aren't 'interesting' to the reader base.
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Yeah, best comparison would looking at the stories that appear in the Daily Sun (the local one) vs. Naspers/IOL. Sure the Daily Sun is a bit of a tabloid but it still covers a lot more of the daily murders/rapes/muti killings, same goes for community papers.
 
SaladCharger said:
How many 'nameless' people don't go through the same thing daily, but don't make the papers becuase they aren't 'interesting' to the reader base.
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Like my girlfriend that was stabbed on the train recently. Police were helpful but after giving her statement nothing has happened, she is fine though.
 
Aqua_lung said:
Like my girlfriend that was stabbed on the train recently. Police were helpful but after giving her statement nothing has happened, she is fine though.
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Glad to hear she was fine and sorry to hear about it!
 
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