My wife, although English, was brought up and lived in RSA until 1998 when she returned to the UK. Slowly but surely ALL of her family and quite a few of her school friends left SA, mainly due to the high crime rate. On of her friends had an excellent job in telecomms, nice car, nice house etc. However, one day he his company started paying for course on how to behave should you get carjacked, your hous broken into while your at home. At that point he decided that RSA is NOT a place to bring up children.
BTW my vet and my dentist are South Africans and they, too, left for the same reasons…It’s a shame really, since SA is such a beautiful country. But as Arnie said all those years ago: Give the country back to the Blacks and they’ll run it down the tubes…
[quote]rsg wrote:
Ahren wrote:
When I was living in Joburg, we had 2 break-ins. When we were living in Alberton, my mom’s car was broken into.
Bad luck on our part I guess.
I stay down the road from Alberton (near Glenanda) - How would you say it compares to living in Canada?[/quote]
I would have to say that I prefer living in Canada. More opportunity here than there (other than rugby and cricket). There is rugby here, but too bad it doesn’t get enough recognition.
You can’t really make comparisons though… where you live is what you make of it. I’ve happened to make more of Canada than South Africa because I’ve spent the latter part of my life here.
Overall, given the choice, I wouldn’t move back to South Africa (especially alberton/joberg area). I would visit because South Africa, in my opinion, is more beautiful.
[quote]Am I missing something? He said South Africa right? Home of mindbending poverty and life expectancy of 48 years? Ruled by a corrupt government that among other things defended Robert Mugabe and denied that AIDS and HIV were linked (also deliberately suppressing AIDS related statistics)? Home of the highest AIDS rate in the world?
I suppose they did legalise same sex marriage.
I mean I’m sure it’s a beautiful country, but I’m not sure it’s where I’d want to raise a family.[/quote]
Interesting but stupidly skewed viewpoint. Is’l like saying to anyone considering the US: isn’t the US the place with an idiot, monkey-looking president who lies to his country; where they invade and overtake any country at will without caring much for consequences or loss of life (troops and innocent locals); where business are corrupt and full of scandal; where all religious men sexually abuse young kids; where you have severe poverty living alongside multi-billionaires; where every 2nd person is obese etc…
Don’t judge a place by the occassional CNN report.
[quote]xenithon wrote:
Interesting but stupidly skewed viewpoint. Is’l like saying to anyone considering the US: isn’t the US the place with an idiot, monkey-looking president who lies to his country; where they invade and overtake any country at will without caring much for consequences or loss of life (troops and innocent locals); where business are corrupt and full of scandal; where all religious men sexually abuse young kids; where you have severe poverty living alongside multi-billionaires; where every 2nd person is obese etc…
Don’t judge a place by the occassional CNN report.
[/quote]
So, are you denying that Gauteng is the murder capital of the world?
Are you denying that every half decent new built home has a panic room, electric fence and the occupants are given panic buttons to wear around their necks in case they can’t make it to a wall mounted panic button? Is RSA not the country where they invented flame throwers mounted under car doors to roast would be car jackers,and the inventor’s ONLY concern was to angle it in a way that the flame wouldn’t blister the paintwork?!?
Are you denying that every half decent new built home has a panic room, electric fence and the occupants are given panic buttons to wear around their necks in case they can’t make it to a wall mounted panic button? Is RSA not the country where they invented flame throwers mounted under car doors to roast would be car jackers,and the inventor’s ONLY concern was to angle it in a way that the flame wouldn’t blister the paintwork?!?
Are you serious with this?
[/quote]
I sure hope not - I have a few wealthy clients and frequent their houses often - never have I heard of panic rooms built in any SA houses.
Panic buttons around their necks? Thats hilarious - maybe scared people in old age homes but I’ve also never heard that one.
I could honestly say that of all the people I’ve personally known/know - I don’t know a single one that’s been killed, other than suicide.
I would try one of those flame throwers though - would make a great party trick.
[quote]xenithon wrote:
I think you read too many tabloids. And anyway, Gauteng != South Africa, hrnce all the suggestions to live in different regions.
[/quote]
I think not.
A school friend of my wife’s married a rather wealthy man who runs his own security response and an estate agents business. They live in a supposedly safe area yet in 2002 their house got broken into while they were sleeping and the husband ended up having a shoot out in his own garden!!!
Her ex boyfriend’s parents live on the south coast, last year one of their neighbours got burgled and literally gutted in his own front room-the house looked like an abattoir.
My dentist got chased on the motorway by some sinister people who were obviously after her car and only quick thinking and some daring driving allowed her and her family to escape.
Regarding the panic room, my sister in law attended a friend’s wedding last year and stayed at their new house and yes it does have a panic room and they do wear panic buttons around their neck, but the hardly qualify a geriatrics…yet.
My boss just came back from London. His wallet and cellphone were stolen. Hence London is a crime hotspot. Our best friends who now live in Canada were burgled, so it is the burglary capital of the western world. My uncle was shot at in Texas, hence it is a gun-rampant free for all…do me a favor. And the panic room and panic buttons: first time I EVER heard of something so silly.
[quote]xenithon wrote:
My boss just came back from London. His wallet and cellphone were stolen. Hence London is a crime hotspot. Our best friends who now live in Canada were burgled, so it is the burglary capital of the western world. My uncle was shot at in Texas, hence it is a gun-rampant free for all…do me a favor.[/quote]
Everybody knows that London is a shithole. Everybody knows that ALL Texans are trigger happy. As for Canada, say it ain’t so.