The couple's driver Mr Zola Tonga and another man, Mzwamadoda Qwabe, 26, from Khayelitsha, have since been charged with her murder. A third person, Xolile Mmgeni, 26, from Khayelitsha, is due to face court over charges including murder and "robbery with aggravating circumstances" on Thursday. The alarming fact of this whole sordid story is that all three of these South African men is that they are all card-carrying members of the ANC's Western Cape Branch, which has past links with Third Force activities to destabilise the DA held province. And the are various reports that the incident might have been pre-planned by various members at the Western Cape Branch in an attempt to cause a public relations nightmare for the Democratic Alliance leader, Helen Zille...
The Recent death of Annie Divani in Guglethu, Cape Town is a tragic sign of both age-old resentments and modern racial circumstances. A person always wonders why someone would kill the "cash-cow", so to speak, when thousands of poor poeple's livelihoods depend on it surviving. However, there are a number of factors involved that very few would notice, even if you're a South African citizen.
The South African economy and that of the Western Cape Province (Cape Town is the provincial capitol) both dearly need the revenue of international tourism and so do the millions of people living in townships like Gugulethu, Nyanga Khayelitsha, Harare, Makhaza and Langa. The African demographic of Cape Town's population is at least 65% (though that is definately going to increase once the 2011 Census is tabulated). Many of these people of living on roughly R800 per month (which normally has to feed a family of eight people) and is the equivalent of $100 American. This is barely sufficient to sustain life, nevermind maintain it, and nothing that the ANC government has tried (or promised to) in the last 16 years is going to change that reality (though the ANC really isn't trying at all)...
Why Attack, Hijack and Murder a Foreign Tourist visiting one of the townships? It's simply a case of Poverty, Greed, Avarice and ingrained Jealousy that is regularly and repeatedly aggravated by ANC Youth League Cadres, who are desperately trying to destabilise the Western Cape economy and Political Foundation ahead of the next provincial and national elections (Electioneering Nigerian/Zibabwean/Congolian Style). This can be clearly seen with regard to the recent uproar between the DA's Cape Town Council and the local residents (ANC supporters) over the question of whether it is acceptable to enclose toilets with corrugated zinc-plate (the residents roused by the ANC are demanding brick and mortar enclosures around their toilets even though they personally are more than happy to live in the zinc-plate enclosed shacks - One newspaper commented that in a disaster at least their toilets would still be standing!
It sounds so strange to anyone from outside South Africa, but locals don't expect anything less from a political party, whose Youth League anthem is "Kill the Boer", Sung by Julius Malema (Boer is the derogatory term for any European person, regardless of nationality or affliation). This aggressive anger and voilence towards any European (Tourists of any non-African grouping are also thought of as European) was also the cause for Amy Beal (Amercian Teenager) being killed only a few years after 1994 and has long been a cause for alarm in the Western Cape.
The sad fact is that no European person or Tourist is safe anywhere in Cape Town or South Africa, because the ANC-instigated campaign of violence towards Europeans (and Tourists) makes everyone a potential target and it will not change until the ANC has achieved its political aspirations of total control of South Africa's provinces. There is reports of a White Paper Policy being compiled by the ANC Caucus (governing body) that contains the ANC's plans to wrest control from the DA using any means necessary and may include using the arms caches hidden in the townships during the Liberation Struggle of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which have never been recovered...
Unless internation condemnation is placed on the ANC government to curb the actions of its Youth League and change its Policy towards Europeans (and Tourists) on a national and provincial level, there will be many more murders and attacks on Europeans (and Tourists) all over South Africa. The South African government should be held legally responsible for any attack, murder and injury of all European (and Tourist) victims of violence in South Africa! This is because the current ongoing wave of attacks on Europeans (Tourist and Local) is largely politically inspired and aggravated by racial resentment, for which the ANC government has done nothing to alleviate.
The truth is that South Africa has achieved "racial" parity, according to the international Guinea scale, and has reached the same level as Brazil, through Affirmative Action. Percentage wise, there are actually just as many Europeans that are impoverished as Africans and the fact that there is still 50% Plus unemployment amongst the Africans is due to the ANC never initiating Skills Development and Job Creation policies!
With 65% Unemployment (unofficial until the 2011 Census), Regulation of the 15 to 25 Million Illegal Immigrants and Widespread Government Mismanagement and Corruption nothing is going to change!
So What can Tourists do to protect themselves and their property while visiting in South Africa for any period of time? The following Vigilance Guidelines will definately be a major help, as they are used by the local European population:
1. Never go anywhere in a group of less than three or four at night (after sunset) and then also make use of private taxi services or transportation. (DO NOT drive on your own through any African township or "Coloured" residential area)
2. Always be aware of your surroundings (like in a conflict zone). (You MUST know what is going on around you and who is around you at all times)
3. DO NOT carry any valuables in plain sight (cellphones, etc).
4. DO NOT work with money (currency) in any open area, as you are going to be watched by several people (Usually 1/4 Coloured, 1/4 European and 1/2 African)
5. If anyone approaches you that you do not know or have some link to (ie... your tourguide or escort or hotel staff), then you MUST be on your guard, as you'll know that they have no purpose in approaching you.
6. Keep all your travel documents, money and personal details out of sight (DO NOT leave them in your hotel room). Preferably on your person in an inside pocket of your jacket.
7. Always know where the nearest police station or police officer is. (This includes security staff)
8. Do Not give money to vagrants or beggars at anytime, because it immediately makes you a target! (They use it to buy alcohol and drugs)
9. If any unknown or strange person tries to approach, you have to immediately tell them to leave you alone in a loud voice
10. ALWAYS confirm the credencials, identity and registration of all drivers and tour operators with the South African Tourist Bureau before leaving your hotel! (This is just a matter of basic safety precautions)
11. NEVER go anywhere without an accredited tourguide, especially at night and in the townships!
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