Fear- an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
I live in South Africa. One of the most beautiful countries in the world. South Africa is a country with a lot of diversity, and many different races, each with their own culture. What amazes me most, is that people from the same race often do not get along because of their cultures.
Violence in different cultures
Some cultures in South Africa believe that violence is necessary and justified to resolve conflict among races. Many males from certain cultures, believe that violent sexual behavior against women is legitimate. South Africa has the highest rate of rape in the world. This high rate of rape has caused South Africa to be referred to as the "rape capital of the world."
It is estimated that over 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime and that only 1 in 4 rapes are reported. It is also estimated that 14% of perpetrators of rape are convicted in South Africa.
Crime is a prominent issue.
Around 49 people are murdered every single day. Farmers are being killed. Not one day goes by where you don't hear about a farm attack somewhere in the country. Because of the severely high crime rate, many people have left the country, because of the fear that they had to endure while living there. Most of them has been a victim of some kind of violent crime.
We are not safe
It is no longer safe to do anything. You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times.
It is no longer safe to drive alone, as we have a fear of being hijacked. My friend was shot in the leg last week in a high-jacking attempt. He was one of the lucky ones. He survived with only a bruised ego, and the chance of never running a marathon again in his life. At least he survived and he can replace his car.
I live in a peaceful town and we live a fairly simple life. But we live in jail. We have to lock our doors permanently and we live in constant fear of being attacked in our own home.
In 2009 my parents were attacked in their own home. Seven armed robbers, just walked into the house one night and kept them hostage for nearly 6 hours. They terrorized them and they broke my grandmother's fingers to take her wedding ring. Luckily everyone survived, but they were severely traumatized and they live in constant fear. The fear of not feeling safe in your own home is real. They went for counseling and life moves on.
They are totally paranoid about every single noise outside, but who can blame them?
Farm attacks
The South African farm attacks are an ongoing trend of violent attacks on farmers in South Africa Between 1994 and March 2012, there had been 361,015 murders in all of South Africa and between 1990 and March 2012, there had been 1,544 murders on South African farms.
There has been a substantial increase in farm attacks in South Africa since 2012, statistics by the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA)
The statistics include farm attacks and murders in the country since 1990 up to June in 2016. A total number of 1 824 murders have been reported in farm attacks since 1990 with 3 933 attacks also reported. Of the 1 824 murders, 1 170 victims were farmers, 491 were direct family to the farmers, 141 were workers on the farm and 22 were visitors. According to the bi-annual statistics the year 2012 (174 attacks) saw a significant rise compared to 96 attacks in 2011. In 2013 the number again increased to 231 people reportedly attacked. In 2014 it rose to 279 and reached a record high in 2015 when 318 people were reportedly attacked on their farms. In terms of farm murders, 2002 was the bloodiest year with 119 people losing their lives in farm attacks while 1990 was the year with the lowest amount of people (16) who lost their lives in the attacks. So far 2016 has seen a staggering 188 attacks in which 39 people have been killed. Gauteng has the highest murder rate with 499 attacks and 413 murders since 1990 with 14 murders and 40 attacks in 2016 alone. Other notable numbers: North West has had 679 attacks in which 253 people lost their lives. KwaZulu-Natal has seen 436 attacks with 294 murders. Free State has recorded 436 attacks with 192 murders. The province with the least reported attacks and murders is the Northern Cape with 46 attacks and 26 murders since 1990.
Please take note that these videos are very graphic and can be extremely disturbing. But we need to get the word out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYgXsBLBxY&index=6&list=PLFRMA6VDTmja8jL4sRXZdyLVzYNeZUSug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KejIHMyYhI&list=PLFRMA6VDTmja8jL4sRXZdyLVzYNeZUSug&index=7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm1UuJ33Kw0
What can help us to bring down the crime rate in South Africa?
NOTHING.
Nothing can be done to prevent this from happening, because each and every culture has their own beliefs and traditions. What is wrong for one culture, is not wrong for another culture. This is the result of having various races and cultures living together. No one believes that they are wrong.
This is a well written article but you should know that I disagree with the conclusion.
The kind of violence you're talking about, this "culture of violence" can change. It can change within as little as generation.
Something can be done, it should be done and there is no excuse for a culture of fear. Never fear anything that bleeds the same color as you no matter what they look like on the outside.
Pull back a couple millimeters of skin and we're all the same color.
We all bleed the same color.
This is why the USA has a culture of owning guns. The need to defend your life, your family and your property from all threats. Learn how to defend, and realize that this is your duty to your family and your community. If just one person allows themselves to be treated this way, then quickly everyone cowers in fear as well. But if one person stood up and said "I will not let this stand!". They would quickly be surrounded by others who feel the same and that is how you end it. I say defend yourself and make them bleed in the process. Remind them they are vulnerable.
But you shouldn't have to defend.
The thing that can be done right now is to teach them differently.
Why are they robbing? Is it for the thrill? Or is their economic condition as such, that this is something that they have resorted to? People won't engage in high risk criminal enterprises if there are easier and more lucrative ways to make a living that they can be successful at.
Why are they raping? Rape is never about sex, it is about control. You have a culture where machismo is extremely important. A woman who is less submissive, less meek is more likely to raped in a situation like that. I'm not trying to blame the victim here, but I am saying that if your culture prizes submissive women, then acting weak and yet not being submissive is going to trigger this. Now they've been raped, now what? The culture expects women to be submissive, so now nothing.
Guess who gets to teach these people their core values?
Women. Women are mothers and the values they instill in their children are the values those children will carry with them for a lifetime.
Target the women, give them tools, education and resources even microfinance to pull themselves up. Make it a part of the program, to impress upon women the need to teach their children that all people are created equally. That these acts are shameful, disgraceful and dishonor them.
That's how you solve this. Do that and this stops within a generation.
Thank you for your comment. You are so right...... you just gave me wonderful idea for a community project I have been meaning to start. South Africa is not far behind on the guns though. Believe it or not, I don't go ANYWHERE without my gun. Like underpants lol ... The regulations here for owning a gun is just very strict. Hence the reason that there are so many illegal fire arms. Everyone is out to protect themselves. Instead of coming together to actually clear up issues, people tend to just do what they believe in. There is an absolute diversion between all cultures and races. The absolute most horrifying about all of this is that people get away with all the crime. Ever heard the saying, churces are empty because jails are full? Everything is going downhill. I am not a racist and I believe everyone should have their little place in the sun, but the rainbow nation is overpowering the sun over here. BUT I totally agree with you by what you said about empowering women. Very wise words indeed...
Thank you and I'm glad I could help. There is always something to be done about any situation. All dichotomies are false.
Ease of legal gun ownership is key to controlling violence in the short term. Areas of the USA with the highest per capita legal gun ownership rates also have the lowest crime rates, this is not a coincidence. It's because you know damn well that stealing and terrorizing people will have a price in blood if you try. It raises the risk vs reward to the point that it's not worth it.
The BS about racial differences is just that BS. Literally the genetic differences between any two people could fit on a floppy disk. In fact it's so tiny, that one of my future projects is a blockchain specifically for health and medical data, with genetic information storage as part of the key structure.
This would be as a hedge against a "grey goo" event from the day when someone decides to download an app to their body and the app "goes viral".
Anyways yes people learn from their mommas. Their mommas need to be empowered to educate their children that this situation is just not right and that honor is far more important than what it is in those cultures right now.
When you die, this is the legacy you leave behind. Do you want a legacy that is more of the same, or do you want to be the one to change the world?
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Why are you afraid to everything-but-name the group of people you feel is the problem? Just replace "certain cultures" with "blacks." Are you afraid that would make you seem racist? Would saying blanket statements such as "Blacks in South Africa believe that violence is necessary and justified to resolve conflict among races" make you sound bad?
Simply because it is not only the black cultures that believe in violence. Everyone is to blame...not only one group of people.