Government and criminals have this country under siege. South African Tourism was proposing that we sign a sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur. The goal: get the world to talk about South Africa.
This was for a cool R1 billion. Almost a week later, hip-hop star Kiernan “AKA” Forbes was killed along with his close friend, the chef and entrepreneur Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in Durban.
News outlets across the world are running the story and, at the cost of two young lives, South Africa is being spoken about by millions. South Africa seems to easily be able to rake up bad publicity, and our government has no clue as to how to put out this fire.
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With politicians, musicians and ordinary people perishing in violent ways, one should not be embarrassed if ever they find themselves mistaking this country for Mexico.
We are living in extremely dangerous times. The terrifying increase in hijackings, kidnappings and burglaries, and the norm that has become cash in transit heists; we are truly living on the set of an unending true crime series, the only thing, none of us can identify a hero that is coming to save us.
A video went viral where a crime “boss” was killed in Pretoria on the doorstep of the Mamelodi East police station.
South Africa needs no international exposure requesting people to come over and have a holiday here, when we clearly cannot be trusted to keep these very tourists alive.
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There is no point in coming to see our “world-class amenities” if the bigger experience during the stay is praying at every turn for one to stay alive. We cannot invite people to their death.
And, pray, tell me this, if men and women who are in the spotlight are killed so boldly, with not a single arrest, what about little old me with no following? Who will hashtag my death and the call for justice in my name?
The government cannot honestly fail us too openly, in everything … from electricity, to a runaway inflation rate and an unbearable crime rate; what has President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government done that we can commend? We won’t hold our breath while we wait.
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