View from a Watchers Point of View
Every now and then we like to scan some international newspapers to check out what they’re saying about either Johannesburg or South Africa. Often their reporters have an “outsiders POV” – so to speak- and are able to write about situations with less emotional attachment than us local journo’s. Simply put, they often tell it how it is with little or no homegrown bias, hidden agenda’s nor editorial policy at play – it’s interesting to compare. So today we’re sharing some of their stories with you… under the international buzzwords JOHANNESBURG, 2010 and CAPE TOWN. We search Reuters, the New York Times and the Times UK. JOHANNESBURG Reuters is a good place to start. Reuters is like the mothership of journalism, their writers and photographers are spread throughout the world, all sending their words or images back to the central planet for distribution to outlying stars. Their local correspondent Rebecca Harrison recently wrote a feature entitled: “Witness: Pizza and machetes: living with crime in Johannesburg” which shed’s light on the day to day motions of living in Jozi. You know how the perceptions go… I say Jozi you say crime… Jozi…?… Read more here. “One break-in, one stolen car, one gate ripped from its hinges, an attack for a slice of pizza and two men ambling through the garden with axes: do you stay until you’re killed for a cell phone? I have lived in Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic capital, for about 2-1/2 years and have been a victim of six different crimes. Thankfully, none was violent. But after the latest break-in at my house in broad daylight, I am starting to wonder what will happen next. Crime in South Africa is haphazard. Some people, even those who have lived here a long time, have never directly experienced any crime at all. But plenty of others I know have suffered badly, including one who was shot in the arm and another who was tied up and locked in the trunk of her car while burglars looted her apartment. These incidents pale in comparison to the murders that fill the newspapers: five small children killed and piled up in a bath of soapy water, or three women beaten, stuffed into washing machines filled with chemicals then strangled with ropes. “ ************************* 2010 The muchos respected New York Times (hope you all read the fantastic NYT supplement free every Sunday in the Sunday Times Lifestyle section) talks about 2010 with the headline “South Africa vs. Itself, in Race to Get Ready for World Cup” (you may need to subscribe to read this story). The article is written by Joao Silva and was published on the 22 April. Read full story here. “A giant...
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