Not victims any more…

 I used to park in an empty field up the road from where I work in Gardens (Cape Town) – but my nerves jangle each time I take my laptop out the boot and have to walk 2 blocks to the office. There is a soup kitchen near this empty field and feel it is a matter of time before someone realises this lady arrives at x time with y laptop.  Sad, but that is the reality, you have to think like a criminal in SA to try avoid being caught out – which already happened 2 weeks after moving back to CT, when my boot was drilled open in Constantia Village car park in full camera view (and car guards “present”) in broad day light.  They stole my handbag, my passport, my ID, my drivers and all my shopping while I nipped into a store right next to my car.    I reported the incident to the local police and was met with a lot of should shrugging.  I gave them all the footage of it happening by sitting with the surveillance camera footage for hours and hours, at the shopping centre security rooms, and screen-grabbing the number plates of the get away car, and the criminals actually doing the deed.  I gave it to Detective Taylor at Plumstead Police Station, I never heard another peep.  Very frustrating since I did all the work for them.  To top it off, when I applied for my new ID documents at the Home Office, I ended up in tears, they treated me like the criminal – and I had to prove myself not to be negligent.  When did drilling a boot open in broad daylight in a guarded car park become the “norm” .  (I never cry… the Home Office, made me cry!)

Okay,  there are beautiful realities about SA, I love it here, but crime is a big problem, a big snow balling problem, but at least there are people doing something about it.  When I parked my car today, I had the usual “get-my-laptop-out-who-is-watching- moment”  and then I heard bag pipes and saw hundreds of people walking towards me – and of course my first thought was “oh no!”.   But  then, I saw their banners – they were all victims of crime, every single one of them, all fed up, all marching.  They want to be heard, they want something done about it and I applaud them all.  So to all you “Victims of Crime”  and to those that want to see SA doing better on this front,  well done on getting your feelings on the matter known, I hope the rest of SA will take note, that we do have a voice and if we stand together, we will be heard.

These people are victims of crime, yes – but not victims of apathy.