Africa is not for sissies.

[Bennie Vorster]

Today my store had been robbed at gun point by seven robbers and cleared of R92 000.00 worth stock. Last month six of them took my other store for R71 000.00 and the month before that another store was taken for R10 000.00

Any of you guys sharing the feeling with me, maybe you might give me a positive outlook upon this matter after all the silly season is only starting.

[grostek]

Hi Bennie,

Are these robberies covered by your insurance? (If you have any)

Difficult to say what to do. Maybe have armed security on the premises.

My boet had a Tavern in KZN and had endless problems untill he found a Sangoma to come and perform his "tricks"at the tavern. Kak stopped overnight. Cost my boet R10000.

I am sorry for your loss.

Kind regards,

Gunter Rostek

[noviasa]

South Africa is a beautiful country. Unfortunately the idea of the rainbow nation does work because the one in power do not share the rich dome of the country. The poor people stay poor because of lack of education and the will to create real jobs. Not the forced jobs like in a communist country. If people do not have anything to loose they will go for it. If you don't have hope of improvement you will try to make that improvement your self. The only way SA can survive is getting the best man for the job and improve the schooling system and not lowering the exams quality so people can pass. Get smaller classes and get better teaching so you have high standards. Get free zone's to produce clothing, it cannot be the labor cost that kills the clothing industries. In the mean time if you are robbed see if you can handle the physical and financial risks. If the answer is no make a plan maybe sell of one of the shops and keep the one in best (secure) location. And rest assure in Europe the robberies on supermarkets are on the rise. And maybe they can stop changing the names of the streets, I believe it cost a lot of money and both black, white, colored and Indians get confused, as a matter of fact even the Chinese get confused.

Novia

[Wart]

How do we stay positive with this happening to our mates? I am just thankful that I have not been affected by any violent crime (yet?) but it still does not make it easier to convince people that we have such a great country and that we should not just run for the hills (hills = Australia etc.).

Bennie, I cannot imagine what you are going through with this happening but I wish that it would just stop!!

B@r$tard$

[Boet]

You dont need to head for the hills. Or `Stralia..... Just move over to the free Republic of Namaqualand. MUCH better over here. I have NEVER been robbed of anything in my life. Smaller move, and you are still living in South Africa. We can not all run away, for that is what you will do when you leave this country???

[noviasa]

I think Benny is still positve, he is a fighter. BTW, I believe in 2006 there were more car high jackings in Australia than in SA but SA people with there Afrikaans are tending to discuss it more. But its a feeling not a statistic. So stay positive. 'Be streetwise and take care. Punishment is not the way better detectives, more crime solving. Higher change of being caught and better prisons. Bad prisons only make harder criminals. In the US you have more people in prison than in any other country but does it stop crime. No. The way is education, proper punishment and economic growth because if you have something to loose you will think twice! Unfortunately this goverment is spending more on bad deals in SA airlines than on the improvement of the police and schooling

How do we stay positive with this happening to our mates? I am just thankful that I have not been affected by any violent crime (yet?) but it still does not make it easier to convince people that we have such a great country and that we should not just run for the hills (hills = Australia etc.).

Bennie, I cannot imagine what you are going through with this happening but I wish that it would just stop!!

B@r$tard$

[noviasa]

I think Benny is still positve, he is a fighter. BTW, I believe in 2006 there were more car high jackings in Australia than in SA but SA people with there Afrikaans are tending to discuss it more. But its a feeling not a statistic. So stay positive. 'Be streetwise and take care. Punishment is not the way, better detectives, more crime solving is . Higher change of being caught and better prisons. Bad prisons only make harder criminals when they get out. In the US you have more people in prison than in any other country but does it stop crime. No. The way is education, proper punishment and economic growth because if you have something to loose you will think twice! Unfortunately this government is spending more on bad deals in SA airlines than on the improvement of the police and schooling

How do we stay positive with this happening to our mates? I am just thankful that I have not been affected by any violent crime (yet?) but it still does not make it easier to convince people that we have such a great country and that we should not just run for the hills (hills = Australia etc.).

Bennie, I cannot imagine what you are going through with this happening but I wish that it would just stop!!

B@r$tard$

[Arnulf]

You dont need to head for the hills. Or `Stralia..... Just move over to the free Republic of Namaqualand. MUCH better over here. I have NEVER been robbed of anything in my life. Smaller move, and you are still living in South Africa. We can not all run away, for that is what you will do when you leave this country???

You are so right boet!

[noviasa]

Bennie, I know how you feel. In 2006 my company was robbed of R. 2,807,501.20, the insurance did not pay because my staff did not kept to the rules of security for 100 percent. Needless to say the insurance did not pay out. I laid of the staff and financially I was set back 4 years of hard work. So I had my fair share of crime as well. In Australia the crime is also high and you probably will feel sometimes you miss the braai and the bill tong . But good luck to you and hope you will return so now and then for vacation.

[Trikenut]

Whoa!! This is terrible!
But as you said: Africa is not for sissies!
Ross
BTW: What shop do you own?

[noviasa]

I think its a chain of cellphone shops if I stand correct.

Whoa!! This is terrible!
But as you said: Africa is not for sissies!
Ross
BTW: What shop do you own?

[Gyronaut]

Eish, sorry to hear this.

Sympathy is probably not enough.

I am deeply saddened by this bullshit happening to good people.

Perhaps the 'new' government will stamp out this kak.

Be strong Bennie, 'ons is met jou.'

Len

[Wart]

On a recent fishing trip to the Transkei (sorry, Wild Coast) I got chatting to our one "gillie" who explained that there was no crime or faction fighting in their area. The reason for this is that they have a curfew in their area for people who are not resident of 8pm. In other words, if you are not from that area and are found there after 8pm you get "detained" until the next morning. He said that is similar to the "pass laws" and that everyone felt that it was good. Besides from that, not once did I feel threatened (other than by tourists staying at Umgazi who invaded my fishing space, but that is another story). The place is totally safe (the cottage we stayed in was no-where near any other such "cottages", quite isolated) and the locals really friendly (even with an elderly gentleman dropping in for brunch one morning whilst selling walking sticks).

A few years ago, when I had my own business, we also suffered from "affirmative shopping" and without thinking I chased after the thief (he stole our cash box). I ended up near the local railway station (the only white around) and a hawker on the side-path stuck out his foot and tripped up the thief who then dropped the cash box and disappeared.

I am sure that we all have a few stories to tell and that makes it even more sad for me.

I am positive about the future of this country and we need to hope and pray for some leadership that is looking after the future of South Africa and not just their pockets.

I thought I would share with you an Email that I recently received and maybe this will give us all some hope for the future:-

"I was invited via Jacqui and Ferrero Rocher to the SA Italian Business Awards last night. As it turned out this was a dress rehearsal to firstly introduce the new Italian ambassador to SA and more importantly to provide the deputy president of the ANC, Dr Kgalema Mothlante, with one of his first opportunities to address a business community.

Herewith some subjective observations on Kgalema for those interested. Whilst policy detail wasnt discussed the strategic emphasis is on returning the country to a position of moral authority whilst focusing on 5 key priorities to ensure sustainable growth and upliftment of the poor. At another level my take was that one could view the existing political turbulence as a phase in our democratic transition where a potential dictatorial crisis was averted from within the ranks of the majority party.

· Kgalema's history, as I ignorantly understand it,is rooted in the ANC, the trade union movement, the South African Communist party and 10 years on Robben Island. He is a local not an exile and not an Oxford man. He is the de facto political leader of the organised left whilst Jacob Zuma the president of the ANC is the populist darling of the poor- for those unitiated.

· I had the distinct impression that I was observing a president in waiting, a Ghandi like character, humble and quietly spoken and at face value and according to record as it stands, untainted by arms deals and mercedes benz payments.

· He is emerging as the most respected and statesman-like political leader in SA

· On the ANC [I read this beween the lines, so some connected dots might be dodgy]

- Here he was speaking from a position of obvious power-no mention nor apology for Polokwane was made [where the left overthrew Mbeki]
- "No individual is ever above the party" [ He said this at least three times so I mentally ticked off Mbeki, Zuma and Malema as his targets ] and what it has stood for, as set out in the freedom charter [ read as ....it will not be used as a launch pad for dictators, chancers or slime-balls.....Mbeki appears to have crossed the line so has to go, and Zuma is not above it either and if he crosses the line he will follow, ditto Malema I suppose ]
- The ANC represents political stability as any politician with the will to power has to use it as a vehicle. Its internal regulation of individual aspirations act as a screening device
- This by implication is why Mbeki has to go, and it will serve as an example to others who attempt the same game plan 1] become head of the ANC 2] become president, 3] become dictatorial, 4] use cronies and patronage in parliament to entrench power for extended periods 5] Become a Zimbabwe. [This 5 step process referred to by media intellectuals as the "Zanufication of the ANC"- partly a motivation for the rebellion by the left at Polokwane. The left have apparently saved our butts from a potential Mugabe is the implication ].

· On political stability

- The leadership of the ANC recognise that this is absolutely critical as political stability leads economic certainty
- They are working on the problem and although there are bumps in the road the end of this phase is in sight
- They wish to return to the multi ethnic, multi cultural soul of the ANC as outlined in the freedom charter- that made it an organisation that historically represented the moral high ground not just in SA but as an example for the world and has delivered leaders such as Nelson Mandela [ read as opposed to the afro nationalistic and racially divisive approach of Thabo Mbeki ]
- The challenge of racism/ethnicity which is once again affecting global politics and threatening to fracture the world on civilisational lines has to be overcome in SA and they wish to lead the charge on this issue, his attendance at the Italian function was a symbol of both this and the desire to welcome investors and business folk.
- HE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO EXPLAIN THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO DO TOO MANY THINGS HISTORICALLY WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND THAT THEY WOULD BE REPOSITIONING THE GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS ON DOING LESS MUCH BETTER.
- They have 5 priorities:

1] Education
2] Health
3] Crime
4] Agrarian reform
5] Rural poverty [Zuma and Mugabes political base]

· On the economy

- The ANC leadership recognise that we have to have a vibrant economy that is growing and that this requires skills retention and significant foreign investment, it is the primary delivery vehicle for everything else.....I thought I detected a whiff of Asian economics at this point.......
- There is a huge concern that skills are leaving the country to scale and leaving a lack of capacity to deliver in its wake, this needs to be recognised and engaged with actively, he mentioned that the ECape province could only spend 10% of its health budget due to a lack of skill capacity [dodgy 3rd world skill imports eg from Cuba etc wont do ....... we have to keep our own good people]

· On crime

- Home invasions are the number one concern. The view is that even if the outside world is chaotic one has to have a safe haven to go home to so this will become a massive priority
- Policemen are paid too little and this is the number two priority as it opens them to corruption

· On himself

- Loves Manchester United " and the way that they play the game " [ Cant be perfect I suppose]
- His obituary would read " while others spoke he got down to work to get the job done "

My summation, for what it’s worth

- I trust him........as much as is humanly possible.........his historical record speaks for itself
- A politician in the Mandela and Ghandi mould where the cause is greater than the individual, he doesnt grand stand but he does have a sense of humour
- He carries the burden of history in his conscience- his country, his party, the plight of poor people, the globally divisive issue of ethnicity
- He hasn’t sold his soul to crony capitalism

If he makes it then we will have an ideologically identical president to Brazil.............and they aren’t doing too badly at present."

Some food for thought??

[noviasa]

I totally agree lets hope the voters make a wise decision.....

[slysi]

Well the one positive is that no one was hurt or killed Bennie Not that we should be thankful for this as the ass wipes should not he been in your shops in the first place.