Yes I read the story about that family (I think the one where she sent an SMS while kidnapped).

I had originally thought that there was some adjustment after 94 but things were slowly coming right. I guess some could argue that it is. I am just one person looking in trying to make sense of it. Like I said I have a feeling it is drifting worse. It is interesting that you can still go out and often have great times without any hint of trouble. I guess for me the problem is that it is rolling the dice each time. Maybe the odds are long - maybe not - I can't be sure.

Another interesting observation for me was seeing armed guards with rifles at shopping centres.

The guards at shopping centers are still okay - it's the security companies at police stations that gets me down!

where were YOU when blacks were the ones being brutalized by the whites! u are only crying now and making the country to be so bad because it's not just blacks suffering from brutal crimes of rape and beatings, now it's whites also! gone are the days of black people suffering in the townships EVERYDAY because of white scum!! now it's EVERYONE'S turn to feel the pain!! and if you whities decide to run then you are more coward today than you were during the apartheid "regime"!
Instead of trying all you can do to rebuild the country which you have helped to bring down, you talk crap about the very people that you toture for many years! now how dumb can you be?? move on go to Europe or the US or where ever the whites are not feared by blacks like in SA you will come running back to your maid faster than you can say new South Africa!

I can say with a clear conscious that I did my share of township duties to help fight crime in the "old" days (remember the compulsary army camps?). Anything constructive you did?
You're missing the point totally here, you're saying exactly what the discussion is all about - and basically repeating what's been said already! And if you think whites did not have "pain" before, you're very much mistaken.
This is an issue worldwide and no matter where you try and run you'll end up with similar problems (maybe not as profound as here).
Anyway - the main point I was trying to make is that criminals have more rights than you and me - can we agree on that point? If you're involved in a shootout and gets hit by a bullet, the criminal will get treatment at a private hospital at our expense whilst you will be transported to the nearest state facility - especially if you don't have medical aid / insurance. And that's fact!

Criminal in private hospital... That is a REALLY interresting and COMPLETELY IGNORANT statement from a racist pig's point of view to twist it the way he sees fit.

We had 2 guys shot in the street right in front of our offices about 4 weeks ago. Look it up if you like, Lowvelder. The black man (or the criminal as you would think of him) got taken to Rob Ferreira (one of the worst state hospitals in the country, if not THE worst), and the white man (or the victim, as you would call him) to the Private Hospital.

The "victim" was shot 5 or 6 times, yet he lives. The "criminal" was shot ONCE, and died.
And, yes, the person who shot the "criminal" is undergoing investigation and murder charges.
RIGHTFULLY SO!
What the papers WONT tell you is that the "criminal" was laying in the street for 15 minutes, bleeding, before they even CALLED an ambulance for him. Yes, i SAW this. Yes, i HEARD the guy telling the amublance driver "Nee, moenie nou nog een stuur nie, hy kan bietjie afkak vir die bull****. Ons sal nou-nou nog een laat inkom".
What the papers WONT tell you is that he called more of his friends over via radio, and they toko turns kicking him while he was cuffed on the ground.

So you can take that narrowminded racism to God, let him show you how humans are supposed to behave.

Did you call an ambulance while you sat watching for 15 min or do you just ***** and moan.

Hi Stu,
Bro, thanks for the comments. I have a section on previous views under the history section -
http://www.gpsa.co.za/weekly/weeklyviews.html

That sorted, now to the rest.., the odds are stacked against the average law-abiding citizen as far as violent crime goes. That's one of the reasons I moved out of Gauteng. Here by us petty crimes rule, but slowly the main criminals are starting to target us. The people here are not used to, nor attentive to crime and security issues.
Strangely enough, people like Desmond Tutu has already remarked on the situation today compared to the "old" days. This concerns living conditions and service delivery. Even some ANC members have expressed their concern about the slide of things these days.
Even your average black and coloureds are remarking that the old days were better.
Maybe that's why there's such an internal struggle within the ANC today.

Only time will tell how far we'll still slide. People in general are feeling a bit more optimistic with the new ANC structures and appointments, but the Lakota story has us all in turmoil.
Violent crimes have decreased according to statistics, though armed robberies and crimes against women & children have increased.
We've noticed and are accutely aware of the downward slide with electricity and water being the main concerns. Then of course there's the government structure like education, hospitals, police and defense which I think is beyond repair.
On the bright side, Helen Zille (DP) has been voted the best mayor worldwide recently!

Best wishes on that side..