Have yoou been a victim of crime?

[Eldron]

After my last hijacking I've been giving some consideration to emigration.

 

This lead me to think - how bad is crime in South Africa? The SAPS numbers can obviously not be believed so here is Eldron's unofficial SA crime experiences thread.

 

Please share your experiences of crime - please do not give opinions just the stats.

 

Please no "useless" posts of ranting about SA crime - just yoour experiences.

 

I'm trying to get a good idea of how many people have beeen affected and in what way.

 

My list:

1) An armed mugging when my car broke down on the highway - laptop, phone, anything of value taken from me. Criminals were not violent.

2) Hijacking in my driveway. Criminals were armed and I had to fight to get away (they wanted to bundle me into their car and take me with).

3) 3 house breakings. Twice I saw the criminal - shot at them once.

[Mojoman]

1 x radio stolen out of my old Beetle from outside a mates house, on a farm in Magalies (they took the R199 radio but left my R700 CAT boots!)

Thankfully (and touch wood) that is my only experience.

[Wil6]

Been held at gun point two years back in a parking area by a guy.Took my cellphone and wallet and took my keys of my car.Three other guys was waiting in another car for him and when he was finished mugging me he climbed into his buddies car and threw my keys back!Was on my way to a night club.

 

One month later after I got all my cards replaced license ext,someone pick pocket my wallet again!

 

 

But luckily I've learned from my mistakes on were to park and to walk in groups.

[Stoffel76]

Thankfully no hijackings and it's mostly petty, except the car being stolen...

 

2006:

Radio stolen from car

Number plates stolen from car

Window smashed but nothing taken

 

2007:

Attempted theft of car

Side mirror maliciously smashed

 

All of the above were outside my then girlfriends house, so I married her and moved her away from that area...

 

2008:

Car stolen

 

2009:

Car damaged after a crowd of people chased a thief on a bicycle and pushed him over and into my car!

 

2010:

Copper pipes stolen from house

Weber braai stolen from backyard

[headhunter]

I'm in the process of leaving SA for OZ.

 

In the time (4 years) that I've been back in SA; from previously working for 8 years in the US, the following has happened:

 

Wife mugged and attacked - twice.... at Mall and place of work

Wife and daugher attacked in their car on the N2 highway while stuck in traffic jam.

Bricks thrown at my car, my wife's car and at me while on my motorbike on the N2.

 

It's only a matter of time IMO until somthing more "serious" happens.

[Regard]

And if you were to ask these questions on a more international forum......do you think the answers would be any diffrent?

 

Stolen car, held at gun point for wallet, house brake etc, etc....?

[Cheese]

1991 radio stolen out of my 1977 mazda 323 at my flat - na garages

 

2001 Radio stolen out of my car, car not parked in garage

2003 Radio stolen out of car at a friends house, car parked on street.

2006 cellphone stolen out of car in centre of town when I left the phone in the car.

 

Have never been attacked or seen weapon.

[The expat cyclist]

Got stabbed in the hand in a everyday farm attack...

[Andyr249]

Break in and theft at holiday house.

Theft from my car in my driveway.

Was caught up in an armed robbery at a shopping centre and had a pistol pointed at me when I tried to move away to safety.

 

My uncle was hijacked by "police" and my mother was in an attempted hijacking.

[gummibear]

I was robbed twice(had the trigger pulled on pistol but never fired),our house was broken into 3 times,twice while we were sleeping and my wife was shot at in a robbery at a shopping center.All this in 18 months....almost forgot my car got broken into to.

 

My brothers house broken into twice and his car stolen.

 

My parents house was cleared out as they had no alarm at the time.

 

A friends house was broken into while he was away with work and his wife raped in there bedroom.

 

A friends father was beaten to death with a brick in his house,he was 75 years old and his 72 yo wife raped.

 

Most of crimes don't make it to the media unless SAPS tells them or reporter has a contact that tips him off so what you read is only tip of the iceberg.

[Tumbleweed]

Kinda a grim topic, but I'll contribute.

 

Hi-jacking, bike-jacking, about 10 attempts on my house or car in the four years I've been there.

[Shebeen]

Think we need to add location in here, as it varies hugely around the country.

 

cape town

 

Had guys jumping over my (2m vibrocrete) wall in muizenberg

got bike stolen like that(2007)

parked on street there and found two guys trying to start it (2009)

[Gumpole]

And if you were to ask these questions on a more international forum......do you think the answers would be any diffrent?

 

Stolen car, held at gun point for wallet, house brake etc, etc....?

 

Had a friend in the UK whose house got broken into by (presumably) kids. they stole some alcohol and snowboarding equipment. This was her first experience with any sort of real crime and she was terribly upset.... here in gauteng if the victim of crime wasn't murdered/ raped/ tortured we count ourselves lucky.

 

so their answers would be the same "crime is rampant where I live" but the level of crime that they experience isn't comparable to RSA.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Gumpole

[Regard]

Had a friend in the UK whose house got broken into by (presumably) kids. they stole some alcohol and snowboarding equipment. This was her first experience with any sort of real crime and she was terribly upset.... here in gauteng if the victom of crime wasn't murdered/ raped/ tortured we count ourselves lucky.

 

so there answers would be the same "crime is rampant where I live" but the level of crime that they experience isn't comparable to RSA.

 

 

I agree fully!!

 

That is the unfortunate problem we sit with.

 

That is the reason I asked the question. Also have family abroad and they to have crime. They also have murders, armed robberies,etc. and this also differs greatly from area to area even there!

 

I think our crimenals, unfortunetly, are just more brutal?

[riaanb]

Me - Bike jacked on Spruit

Family - various other armed robberies including one person being shot, but not killed.

 

Kinda bleak to think about

Edited November 12, 2010 by riaanb

[Wil6]

Man if I had to tell my family's stories also and friends I can write a whole bloody page!