Statistically it’s one of the deadliest countries on earth, and yet South Africa will host two major international sporting events in the next twelve months. iMPULSE takes a look at the Rainbow Nation’s struggle with violence on the eve of the summer’s big kick-off.
This summer, at least fifty-thousand rugby fans from across Britain and Ireland will descend on South Africa to follow the British Lions on their first tour of the country in twelve years. Next summer, the country plays host to one of the world’s biggest sporting events, the FIFA World Cup, with similar numbers of Scots, English, Welsh and Irish expected to travel.
While the sporting competition will be tough, it will be nothing in comparison with the violence facing some of the country’s forty-three million citizens on a daily basis.
In 2001, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a study of sixty countries across the globe. They were looking at rates of violent crime and drug use across the globe, and the results made for grim reading. South Africa ranked second for assault, second for murder, and first for rape.
Violent crime rates in the country have fallen over the past decade, but that’s where the good news stops. South Africa retains the dubious title of ‘Rape Capital of the World’, carjacking is such a problem that some makes and models are uninsurable, and, according to official statistics from both countries, you’re still ten times more likely to be murdered on the streets of Johannesburg than in Edinburgh.
The British & Irish Lions, in South Africa this summer (photo from lionsrugby.com)
Yet vast numbers of Brits will head to the country for this summer’s sport, regardless. Geraldine Norris from sports travel agency Gulliver’s says that Lions fans concerned about the security situation are “in the minority”.
“I would honestly say that I don’t think any security concerns have affected our numbers on this tour. I certainly haven’t spoken to anyone who has said they were going to book but have decided against travelling to South Africa (because of its reputation).”
While fans travelling to South Africa seem unconcerned about security, inside the country there are widespread fears that South Africa’s moments in the spotlight could be marred by violence. In a survey carried out by football’s governing body, South Africans were asked to voice any concerns they had ahead of the World Cup in 2010. 53% said that they were worried that the country’s history of violent crime could ruin the event.
And even though travellers might not bring up the safety issue, precautions are still being taken on their behalf. “Most of the people travelling with us are on “fully escorted tours” so they are in groups of around forty,” Geraldine Norris explains. “They have their own dedicated Tour Manager looking after them, and their accommodation and transport are taken care of.”
It is certainly the case that some areas of the country are more dangerous than others. Much of the violent crime takes place in the shanty towns and slums outside the main cities such as Johannesburg and Pretoria, in areas where private security firms have taken over the police’s role in fighting would-be criminals.
Despite widespread awareness of South Africa’s crime problem, tourism remains a major part of the country’s economy. Official figures show that the tourist trade is worth 60 billion Rand (£4billion) every year, or 10% of the total economy. They also show that the UK provides half-a-million visitors annually, making it the world’s largest market for South African tourism.
Of those half-a-million, an estimated 12% complained of general or specific security and safety worries. Rhona Eistetter of the South African Tourist Board said; “We do receive inquiries about the security in our country. The basic safety precautions are the same in South Africa as anywhere in the world. We also advise that people plan their route in advance, use maps and when in doubt as to the safety of specific areas or which route to take, to contact the police.”
While the games on the Lions tour and at the World Cup may not be taking place in the slums of Diepsloot or the ganglands of Hillbrow, that doesn’t change the fact that South Africa is one of the more dangerous locations on a British sports fan’s itinerary. The hope is that the ferocious contest on the pitch is the only violence they see this summer.
Words by Peter Simpson
