This piece of news was kept away from the rest of the world. A group of Australian soccer fans was attacked and robbed by South Africans. One of the fans was a policeman who had his head trodden on. A female was sexually attacked and yet this was not publicised. Why is that?

The answer is quite simple. Because the South Africans want to maintain the pretence that theirs is a peaceful country, especially during the World Cup.

However, my experience of that country is quite negative and very distressing.

We were invited to visit the place to discuss doing business a decade ago. I was so horrified by what I saw that it has left an indelible impression on me. Nothing on television had prepared me for the poverty which I witnessed.

While my husband held discussions with some librarians in Johannesburg I announced that I was going to take a stroll around the town. The librarians were horrified and suggested I stay indoors.

Well, I disregarded their advice and decided to leave the confines of the Library. I stepped outside only to be greeted by jeering blacks and menacing gestures. It was truly a heart of darkness that I had ventured into. I was back in a flash.

The librarians who were partaking of afternoon tiffin smiled smugly in an “I told you so” manner. All I could think of is how can two such opposite worlds not collide in an armageddon conflict? To this day, I still don’t understand how South Africa will drag itself out of the terror of violence and poverty.

Soccer may be fun for a little while but when the party’s over, the misery will still be there. No amount of chanting and vuvuzelas can drown out the cry of despair.

Below is a quote from the Department of Foreign Affair’s advice to Aussie travellers:-

DFAT has urged Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa as “muggings, rape, armed robbery and other forms of theft are common”.

“Murders and carjackings involving foreign tourists have also been reported. Travelers have been robbed and assaulted after having their food or drinks spiked,” DFAT said in a statement.

p.s

Well, Well, Well, the Aussie media has finally reported the attack tonight. It appears that the attackers were armed and robbed the fans in a hotel. It also appears that the crooks were Nigerians. Why does the fact that they were Nigerians not surprise me? If it’s not Somali pirates it’s Nigerian scammers or South African muggers. What a continent!

p.p.s 27th June

Apparently the lodge where the attacks on the Aussies took place has been involved in several such incidents. It was probably an inside job. I realise that FIFA gave the World Cup venue to South Africa to give it a boost but it was a mistake to do so when S.A could not provide adequate security to its visitors. This is an example of political correctness gone wrong again.