IamA (My name is Thando Hlomuka, I live in Soweto, the so-called crime, rape and "everything-that-is-bad-or-illegal" capital of South Africa.) AMA

Do you carry a weapon when traveling?

Nope I don't. As I said crime in Soweto is not as bad as the media makes it out to be. The only time I feel it is necessary to carry a weapon is when I go to desolate and silent areas at dawn. But most of the time, I don't see the need to. Criminals are all the same, they only rob people who don't seem like a threat, I carry myself as if I am dangerous and I can be if the need arises. So its a matter of perception. If you walk in a dangerous area and you look weak and scared in a sense that your actions put a giant bullseye and a "rob me" sign on your back then you will be a victim but if you walk in the same area and carry yourself as if you do mean business, criminals are gonna be reluctant when it comes to messing with you. It has worked for me.

So what you're saying is, crime in South Africa isn't that bad... so long as you look like a criminal. Yup, can't wait to book a holiday there!

If that's how you wish to interpret it, then okay.

Speaking from personal experience, there's some truth to what you say, but being white in Soweto is enough of a bullseye.

Lol it depends. White people Become targets if they are not tourists or can't relate to the locals. If it happens that you get yourself in a situation where you gonna be a victim of crime(god forbid). Speak zulu or sotho or any vernacular languge or tsotsi-taal, I gurantee you, the same people will wanna be your friends and protect you from any harm.

So only the strong and confident can feel safe going unarmed?

Exactly but But there is a difference between confidence and stupidity. Confidence means you carry yourself in a dignified manner and your presence commands respect and your silence is enough to notify anyone not to mess with you. Stupidity is when you show-off and bark loudly as if you can take on the world fully knowing you are scared and your butt will probably be stabbed or beaten.. If lucky. Hold your ground, stand your ground if the odds aren't against you and you will be good.

Carrying a weapon in South Africa is a bit of a touchy subject... When I hear the phrase "carry a weapon", I either think of a concealed pistol or a knife. I personally consider the idea of carrying a knife for protection to be really stupid, even if you know how to use it and obtaining a firearm in South Africa is a non-trivial exercise.

To purchase a firearm requires a gun license which is issued by the police for the specific type of firearm that you want to own: pistol, shotgun, rifle or carbine. If you want to own all four, then you need a license for each type. To become qualified for a license, you must complete an open book exam on the specific type of weapon which expects you to be able to name each part of the gun, firearm safety and South African law related to firearms as well as a separate closed book exam on South African law on firearms and when you are allowed to use a firearm in self-defence. After you have a license, you may purchase a gun for that license. A firearm must be kept in a gun safe at all times and if you want to keep it on your premises, then you must install a safe and have the police inspect it. If you don't have a gun safe, then the firearm will usually be kept by a gun shop/firearms range and you will take it out when you want to use it with obvious exceptions (hunting, etc).

(Obligatory "white South African")

Right on point!

I know a South African girl named Thandi. Is Thando the male equivalent?

In a way. Thando is a unisexual name Which means love and Thandi is name strictly given to females... However I know some gays who have adopted the name

Somewhat related follow up. Are you familiar with the Gayle lexicon? Or know of someone who is?

You mean Gay moffietaal, the slang language spoken by most White LGBTI individuals?

Is this why I shouldn't call our south African engineer a moffie?

Moffie is a derogatory term that means gay... It is equivalent to the term faggot.

Wait what? Can you please explain this more

Gayle lexicon is a slang language composed and spoken by many white LGBTI members in cape town. I only know a bit of it.

My father was from Johannesburg before eventually moving to the UK, and I've been to South Africa myself - but never to Jo-burg or its suburbs. I do want to visit the city myself, so my question is: do you think that in twenty years time or so, crime will be far lower in Soweto than it is now?

Non-crime related questions - is Soweto a very political area? Are people generally for Zuma or against him? Would it depend on their race? Is the area very racially divided, or do people of different races get on ok?

Honestly I think the crime level would be lower in 20 years time, only if there is a dramatic political transition. 60-90% of black people are ardent supporters of the ANC(African National Congress, the ruling political party, because the ANC was in the forefront of the struggle against apartheid and Soweto is made up of 97% black people. Unfortunately, the ANC seems to be following the "oppressed turning oppressor" maxim whereby they themselves are restricting the potential of poor black South African by not giving them vital services to improve their lives. Yes they do offer grants, funding and other financial services however in the poorest areas in Soweto, many people don't get that, an example would be Kliptown, 20 years after we got democracy, that community is filled with shacks and filthy dwellings where no human being should live. Kliptown is so bad that you can even see filthy and disease infested pigs roaming around the streets of that place. With the existence of poverty comes the existence of crime and corruption. The corruption in our country is so bad that our own president took 350 million rands(between 20 - 30 million dollars) of the taxpayers money and built himself a grand residency and the whistle blower(Thuli Madonsela who is the public protector) who is trying to make the president take responsibillity for his action was actually facing so much resistance, threats and intimidation as if she was the criminal. Another problem is that the main cause of poverty is the because of the legacy left by apartheid and important entities such as the media are not on the forefront of revealing ways for poor Sowetans to empower themselves financially.

2) Soweto is a political-influenced area because all political parties keep emphasising that the only way a poor black person can escape poverty or make their lives better is by voting for them, so most political and old-school Sowetans are a brainwashed by that. People are for ANC regardless who rules but Zuma's careless actions have created a lot of backlashes including a decrease in public support of the ANC and the creation of the EFF(Economic Freedom fighter, led by Julius Malema). The EFF is proving to be a political force to be reckoned with. It does depend on race and there are a few racial divisions mostly because the effects of the apartheid system are still lingering in communities even today, the TRC just made things worse for the locals who wanted to see justice. The good thing here is that white people and tourists are treated like celebrities here. Besides the worst thing you can be here is a white racist.

Most dangerous situation you've been in yet?

1st of January this year. After partying, I was walking with my spouse home then 5 guys stopped us and tried to drag her away from me and gang-mug me. I punched the guy hard who was forcefully dragging my spouse and she got a chance to run away. The other two were chasing her and I ran after them. As I was running, the other 3 were punching me and trying to trip me. I finally fell down and one of them kicked my abdomen. stood up and stood my ground, the one I punched took out a taser/stun gun(I'm not sure which one it was) and he electrocuted my neck at first and I stood up and fought. The other 2 guys were punching me and I was fighting them too. The guy with the taser/stun tried again to electrocute me but I still stood my ground( I don't know if it was because the battery of that device was low or maybe I had to much adrenaline and didn't feel the shock). I managed to knock 1 out and my focus shifted to my spouse again and I gave chase. I found her and the two guys who were chasing bher tried to fight with me again and I took out my cellphone and told them if they wanted it they can come and take it. They didn't do anything but make idle threats and they walked away. By some miracle, I didn't even have a scratch on me except mild pain on my abdomen(due to the guy who kicked me after I fell). Two weeks later, I met one of the guys who tried to mug me at the mall and I taught him a lesson he would never forget in his life. I think if my spouse wasn't there that day, I would be telling a different story and I would be in jail for murder. Her safety was my primary concern so I did what I had to do.

Holeeee sheeeet!! I am glad you and your spouce are okay.

Thank you very much for your concern.

what do you mean "so called"? do you deny the claims?

I don't deny the claims however they are exaggerated. Ask any white person or tourist who has been to South Africa to tell you which place they deem to be dangerous... Soweto will come first or among the top 5. I won't lie, Soweto does have crime, like any other place in the world, however things have drastically improved and it is not as bad as the media portrays it to be. In actual fact you would be a fool to commit a crime in most parts of soweto, mob justice here is a common occurence, since the SAPS(South African Police Service) don't do their job 50% of the time, many township dwellers are forced to take the law into their own hands and the criminal who is in the receiving end would normally wish he was in jail. I live in a place called Senaoane(pronounced CEE-NA-ONE-NE) and a few years ago there was a serial rapist who was on the loose. His luck came to a brutal end when he was captured by the women in our community, beaten up, stabbed closed to 50 times and they cut off his penis and shoved it in his mouth to deter any other rapist. Ever since then, there have been minor rape incidents.

ah i see, thanks! also i like how the police are called saps xD

Lol my pleasure. Unfortunately in certain cases the "Police" are responsible for the crime that you see in news channels. The perfect example would be the case of Radovan Krejicer. A Serbian criminal kingpin who has been making airwaves here in South Africa. He is like the el chapo Guzman of the South African underworld. He was probably protected by the police for a long time until he started to murder the wrong people and casted attention upon himself. The guy is so dangerous that no magistrate was willing to take his case. Apparently he has connections to many mafia groups. The only prevalent mafia we know of here but the news doesn't report is the Nigerian Mafia.

He's actually a Czech.

Thank you for the correction

I've heard about the Nigerian mafia. They're scary.

Very scary and discreet. But they are not show-off. They operate like businessmen, keeping their criminal activities a secret.

...

Honestly My grandparents told me that South Africa during apartheid was oppressive but its was super orderly. As a black person you couldn't roam around at the street at night, if the cops found you, they would beat you up or throw you to jail. Black people also had to carry permits whenever they went to areas classified as non-black or where the majority of the population is white. So even though black people lived a very hard life during apartheid, it wasn't a banana republic. You couldn't just wonder around the streets doing nothing on those streets, the cops would ask why and if you didn't provide a good reason, they would beat you up. If your excuse was you were unemployed, the government would make the necessary means to get you a job. The apartheid state was very paranoid, every black person who had nothing to occupy him/her was vulnerable to being politically influenced into joining the liberation struggle, so they did all they could to make sure that didn't happen. South Africa was well-governed during Apartheid but the governance made sure black people were terrorized and got nothing. An example would be Johannesburg CBD and Hillbrow. My Grandparents told me both places looked like New York and Los Angeles during Apartheid but now, its so filthy, crowded and crime-infested, Hillbrow is worse, that place stinks and smells of urine and other foul odour. It is so Ironical how the government can spend millions on placing a system and infrastructure to tax us more(e-tolls) but they can't even keep a central business district clean.

Now that Trevor Noah is host of the Daily Show, do you expect that South Africa will be held in a different light by Americans at all? Is Noah a big cultural icon in SA?

How did the country take the loss to Japan at the World Cup!? ;)

Good Question. Trevor Noah's achievements do reflect on South Africa's potential therefore I believe that it will change how Americans percieve South African talent. He is a very funny guy, smart too cause he uses real life problems experienced by South Africans and himself(I think there is a joke he stated about his mother being shot by his step-dad which really happened) and turns it into satire. The funny thing is that many black South Africans glorify America and every aspect of American culture to a point that they believe if they speak English in an American accent, they somehow sound smart, posh or noteworthy and I'll allow your imagination to cook up a scenario where a 16 year old black girl speaks broken English in an American accent. I'm not surprised though because everyone knows America is good in Propaganda.

And the country took the Springbok's loss to Japan very hard. We became the laughing stock... For a while until we made it to the semi-finals. I bet no one was laughing then.

Hi Thando. I'm a Zimbabwean with relatives that work in South Africa. Naturally I worry about the outbreaks of xenophobic attacks that spontaneously occur in SA. What do you think are the drivers of these attacks, and do you think relations between South Africans and foreigners will improve?

Xenophobic attacks are caused by bitterness and ignorance. As shocking as this may seem, sometimes we black South Africans tend to blame other people for our problems. The xenophobic attacks were really shameful incidents and highlighted how disunited Africans are. The recent attacks started when a Somalian Shop owner shot and killed a 14 year old boy and then it set forth a chain of events that led to black foreigners being terrorized. All black Foreign shop owners were chased away, beaten or even killed. I remember watching a video of an Ethiopian trader who was beaten and then necklaced(putting a tire on your body, dousing your body with petrol and setting it alight). The trader was beaten but the chilling screams came when they set him alight. I have never seen someone die in such agony, I had trouble eating that day. The funny thing about this is that no Caucasian foreigner was chased away or beaten or have his shop looted. The safety camps for refugees were filled with black and certain asian(bangladeshi, pakistani and afghan) foreigners. But the nigerians fought back and there was a stand-off in durban that resulted in the death of 3 south Africans. I didn't like how the govt responded. After the xenophobic attacks, homes of suspected perpetrators were forcefully invaded by the military and police and the supposed perpetrators were forced to stand outside in the cold at night naked or partially naked. All of this was done to please the international community and "secure" our interests as a nation. But that really had a huge effect on my business since I deal with mines and commodities, foreign investors pulled out at important deals, it was a huge mess. The driving forces behind these attacks are many. For starters we africans lack a strong sense of patriotism and African pride, we see ourselves through tribal affiliations rather than as Africans. Secondly, Many South Africans rely on Spaza shops(micro-supermarkets) for entrepreneurial purposes, out of the blue, a rapid rush of foreign entrepreneurs(mainly ethiopian, somali and bangladeshi) came to South Africa and established lots of these(for every township there is one to 3 Spaza shops and they are all owned by such foreign entrepreneurs). The government didn't place any laws to restrict such and put more effort and funding into South African entrepreneurs who want to do the same thing. Now a single spaza shop, owned by a South African Entrepreneur is in competition with 5 spaza shops owned by a consortium of foreign entrepreneurs within the same area, obviously this sets a state for unhealthy tension and war is imminent. The government failed to impose restrictions and most of these foreign entrepreneurs don't even pay tax because they don't bank or register their business. Another factor is stereotypes. So without governmental intervention and the corruption prevalent within our foreign affairs sector, the xenophobic attacks where bound to happen because it seemed like foreigners where getting benefits that south africans were waiting for or not getting.

Is it true that white South Africans fave prejudice and racism on a widespread scale in the country?

Some white people are racists but they don't rub it on everyone's face except certain Afrikaners in Roodepoort and Ventersdorp. One time I was in both places and I saw two households that were painted in the colours of the old South African flag. Groups like the KKK wouldn't survive here if they went public, Just imagine a white guy completed a painting that depicted the president nude and it was called the spear and he received so much criticism and rejection as if he publicly said the K-word(Kaffir equivalent to Negro or Nigger) Yet a black person completed a painting that showed prominent white politicians naked and nothing happed. The painting is called the shield. I'm not sure and please feel free to correct me but certain white people do get away with saying the N-word. Word of advice to any inmature tourist who will try to be funny in South Africa or impress someone, DO NOT and I mean DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT SAYING THE K-WORD IN ANY AREA FILLED WITH BLACK PEOPLE. They will beat you up or they will kill you. There are still some white people who still believe they still live in Apartheid South Africa were they expect certain priveledges to be awarded to them when they arrive at a certain store or place. An example would be last week, I was at a mall buying clothes. After purchasing them, I stood on the queue and waited to pay. This white lady comes and stands behind me for 5 minutes and then out of the blue she goes to the cashier and urges to pay. For a few moments, the people who were in the queue gave this woman a chance to actually see the error in her actions, the cashier even asks her why she would skip 13 people and just come and pay. She tried to make scene but she mistakenly/stupidly said " I should be first in line because I'm white and I can't wait for these people." The was an uproar at the store and she was nearly beaten up but was saved by the security. You can never be an open white racist here in South Africa and expect to survive. If we black people don't get you, then the government will screw you over. My grandpa is a passive racist and I honestly don't blame him,. The stuff he went through during Apartheid is enough to make anyone hate the world. He can respect a white person but never tolerates any crap from them. Not even in the slightest.

Do you have any friends who got mugged raped etc ? A guy from Israel, the capitol of random stabbings and flying missiles

I live in South Africa.
Yesterday, my friends were pulling out of their driveway when they got held up and hijacked, then they went into his house and took all his shit.
Crime is EXTREMELY bad here.

I don't have any friends who HAVEN'T been mugged, and I know 3 girls who have been raped.

This fucking country is horrible, no matter what anyone says.

Sorry to hear about that.

Lots. Rape is also bad here... . The main cause of rapes is the notion most boys follow here in Soweto which they believe that if they buy drinks for a girl in a club, the girl owes them and has to repay that debt.. In most cases through sexual intercourse. However, lots of women have lied about being raped and many men get imprisoned for something they didn't do. As for stabbings, they also occur here, I was also stabbed but I survived through fighting back. Most sections in Soweto contain close-knitted communities where everyone knows each other so they can recognize a stranger from a mile away, if criminals recognize that you not from their area then you automatically become a target for crime. Fortunately it is not as bad as in Israel, I watch the news and I see that its really really bad there. Most criminals here use conventional weapons and know nothing of high tech weaponry

South Africa - 31 murders per 100000 people. Israel - 1.8 muders per 100000 people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

www.crimestatssa.com/didyouknow.php

That's outdated. This is for 2015

Have you seen 'District 9'? If so, I would love to hear what a South African thought of the film.

Yes I have. Best Sci-Fi movie South Africa has produced and that's a fact. Those gigantic prawn-like creatures gave me chills though. I'm not a fan of horror movies or disgusting things. But overall it was world-class I can definitely say it can compete with any American Sci-Fi movie.

Living in a high crime-rate area, are there any strategies you've learned for avoiding trouble aside from the obvious? ( avoid certain areas, don't look lost, etc. )

I don't live in a high crime area because as I stated criminal and gangster wannabees don't take chances here because of a high risk they might face mob justice. But from my experience Perception is everything. As I said criminals don't have a victim radar that detects threats and non-threats. They rely on intuition but mostly they rely analysing their victims. Criminals are very calculating, they don't do roberries willy nilly, they analyse, scan and then attack. So all in all if you act weak and uneasy in front of a criminal then you gonna be a victim, if you act like a badass, they will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you can back it up with a weapon or your fists and leave you alone.... All criminals are cowards that's why they rob you using a weapon in the first place not their fists. Be bold, be wise and be brave but don't be stupid.

Sawubona! I've spent time in Soweto and found it to be a pleasant area--I was mostly in "touristy" places, true, but I also walked around on my own for a bit and never had anything bad happen to me. Jozi in general never "felt" dangerous. Do you feel as if Soweto and also Jozi have bad reputations that they don't deserve?

Also, do you feel as if the current Zulu kingdom is eventually going to break up into the smaller communities that existed before Shaka and others absorbed them into the Zulu empire? Will the Buthelezi, for instance, eventually part ways, and why would these subgroups want to separate themselves from the Zulu kingdom?

Ngiyabonga,
Nomfundo

With regards to Soweto, I can definitely say the exeggarated crime statistics stated by international media platforms are beyond ridiculous but as for Johannesburg CBD.... It is true in a way. Reason being is that the cbd is now divided into two areas. The surburban and clean areas(Newtown, Fox str, Von Brandis str, Commissioner str, Von Welleigh Str etc) and the dangerous, crowded and unsafe areas(bree str, noord str, Pritchard str etc). During the day, these areas are both safe but during at night, the dangerous side becomes an underworld. Drug addicts, homeless people, prostitutes and petty criminals roaming at night. Sometimes international media purposefully sabotages the image of certain areas and spread propaganda. An example would be the typical advert detailing Africa. It usually displays the starved children, drought, animals dying, famine, war etc and Ads detailing Europe portray it as this modern haven where there are no poor people only rich people and skyscrapers exist. The funny things is that there are places in paris that are worse than Hillbrow and there are places in Mali and Zimbabwe that are as beautiful as Beverly Hills but you will never see adverts of such nature.

2) No that won't happen. King/Inkosi Ushaka Zulu cemented his legacy by establishing a unified zulu empire. He conquered many zulu/nguni tribes and after doing that he changed everything into singular entities(single language, single way of life, single architectural standard etc) thus with time, the tribes began adopting this and forgot how they used to live. We zulu people are more unified than ever. King Zwelithini(the zulu king) is nothing more than a ceremonial figure with great political influence(like queen elizabeth) Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi is the Political head of the royal family since he established and heads the IFP(Inkatha Freedom Party). Buthelezi knows he can't defect and create his own cultural lineage because he heavily relies on Zwelithini for funds and he needs Zwelithini to control the zulu people under his authority because they respect him not only as the head of the zulu monarchy but as a traditionalist who is more than willing to do anything to conserve the "zulu way of life."

But with modernization comes the responsibility of adapting with westernization. Sooner or later, the zulu way of life will be extinct and we all will be puppets of the standard of modernity.

Hey man greetings from an ex country man! How are things these days in South Africa??

Things are well currently but economically... Its a mess. The marikana massacre and the xenophobic attacks killed us economically. Plus there is a cop-killing epidemic now(60 something cops have been killed this year alone) and the fees must fall campaign has revolutionized certain laws. But nothing has changed except medical and scientific breakthroughs.

On the lighter side, an artist called Casper Nyovest managed to fill up the Dome, Northgate without the help of any international artist. The first South African and African artist to do so. Hope you well.

Sawubona Thando! Kanjani? Ngafunda isiZulu namagugu eUniZulu ngo-2011. Ngahlala eMpangeni KwaZulu-Natal. Wafundani? Wafundaphi? Ngiyxolisa, my Zulu is rusty.

*Hello Thando! How are things? I studied Zulu language and culture at the University of Zululand in 2011. I lived in Empangeni, Kwazulu-Natal province. What did you study? Where did you study? I apologize, my Zulu is rusty.

Ngiyaphila mta ka ma ngiyathemba nawe uyaphila. Got done with matric in 2011 and went to UJ(University of Johannesburg). I went for a B.A in Public Management and Governance but I dropped out due to financial reasons. Pursued a diploma in English and Literature and A certificate in Computer Literacy

Chiefs or Pirates?

Kaizer Chiefs! And they won today... Very proud.

What do Soweto residents think of Winnie Mandela and her soccer club?

Winnie Mandela is seen as a heroine among the older generation but most of the youth see her as Mandela's ex wife. Personally I believe she was a cutthroat African version of Margaret Thatcher. However, she did what she had to do in order to uphold the fight for liberation even though some of her actions are questionable. Her contribution to ending apartheid is unrivaled regardless of what the media says and she is admired by the older generation because she didn't take any crap from any white person during an era where a black person would bow or had to humiliate himself/herself in front of a white person or for a white person's amusement. People usually read how bad apartheid was but that's nothing compared to what those who actually were in the receiving end, my grandparents told me so much horrible stories they saw or experienced during apartheid, it would make any black person a racist. Sometimes I understand the anger behind a lot of people who fought for freedom, I mean if a white cop told you to pull over and made you drink urine by force or re-enact the behavioural pattern of a monkey in front of your family and you knew there was nothing you can do about that, wouldn't you be very angry?

Not sure if you're familiar with the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. But a lot of people (including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter) compare Israel's embargo, security wall/checkpoints, and government policies to former Apartheid South Africa. I personally believe that, while there are a lot of bad apples on both sides, the measures Israel takes are necessary for its security. I don't think it's the same as Apartheid.

My questions are: do you have an opinion on this comparison? Do you think the comparison is valid? If so, in what way? If not, why not?

In a way it is. If we look at the history of Israel and reason behind theThe Israel/Palestine conflict is religion. With Apartheid South Africa, it was simply a matter of discrimination and whites feeling threatened by the majority to an extent that they had to treat them like animals in order to contain them without realising they are making things worse. What they didn't realise is that black people were more than willing to co-exist with the colonialist but the problem started when the colonialist disregarded the authority of the natives by overstepping boundaries. With Israel I believe the security measures are placed for their own protection, I think there was a war whereby nearly every arab nation fought against Israel, so I personally believe they are learning from the past.

What does your mine brokerage and commodity firm trade??? You are 22. I give you the thumbs up I am European and have lived in Alberton not far from Soweto from 97-07.I miss my ten years in South Africa. We myself and my gay husbasnd and our help lived vey well. I built for my Zulu housekeeper and her hushed and six children ( she told me she had no children and was not married when i hired her as i had asked for a single lady to help me when I moved to RSA. I built her a private custom home 2br one living room kitchen bath and yard with bbq and they had the run of the garden. No major problems to the guests xmas hey husband and six children arrived from the coun. They stole and humiliated and misstreated my adopted black Sutu daughter behind my back when i traveled for work. Only till I found out when she old enough to tell me so.. Very sad. in a 7000sq feet mansion but all my staff had grown up enough to be strong enough to tell me so. I took my housekeeper to court for tribal racism and win my case before a black juge and court. From then onwards five years more like many others I only used staff in the office and for home from Zimbabwe and Malawi and have never looked back. I miss South Africa every day. But I came there with an open heart and mind from far away trying to help and be generous etc. But to often locals are trying to con their way along. The hardest working locals are very often the illegal immigrants who have no qualms with black and white. Too often when one looks in the eye of local people they make you want to feel bad because you are white etc.. And that every chicken had to fall grilled and ready into your mouth because your parents and grand parents have suffered under the hands of the highly old political system. And that is wrong! We on the test of the world have all had our UPS and down with wars and heart ship an no one has ever given us the so called empowerment... I admire all black people who really make something of themselves by studying and working etc without end blaming the past. You sound like one of those I wish you all the best! Been to story many times and beer had a problem.. But then I only drive a Honda and not like many idiots in RSA white and black would just stop showing of their expensive cars. Jewellery accessories etc.. Etc.. It's a thing in RSA to speed of one's wealth and naturally the poor in their struggle fund temptations. We mainly left for one reason. My husband is Chinese and the uneducated sadly often think that all Chinese are rich and therefore our children our daughter in this case are real targets for kidnapping for ransom. And if we don't have that kind of cash you know what that means... Still we miss South Africa every day and have wonderful friends there of any color. May it be spared of all the world's problems as Nostradamus wrote four hundred years ago. When the world will encounter the third world war the only country spared and surviving will be the one on the southern tip of the African continent. So your chances of success are good. Now just get rid of the ANC exploring the poor and uneducated for their own profits!!!! My daughter's grandmother a black woman from Zaneen left JHB because she said it was way safer to live there under the pervious regime. She said at least she could could go shopping and wallking at day time about town without the great if behind robbed.. Noted this is not the case for many as we know.. But then her in Canada on our lovely safe city we already had 29 murdered this year so each country had its bad bones.. Fare well enjoy your sunshine music animals. And ask you out there maybe reading this my question is. Why have you not visited South Africa yet. It's one of the world's highlight the size of France offering everything from hot to child water beaches from heigh majestic mountains ready to hike to deserts with the loveliest little green cities lost in time from fantastic road quality, what ever the local may complain about, they are still better that in the twelve plugged countries I have lived in, from images like near European alpine roads in Mpumalanga just miles away from the lowland and the majestuc Krueger park where you can holiday from affordable beautiful hotels government run lodges to the utmost expensive safari camps like Sabi Sabi. And while you are there don't forget the million old cycade forest in the rain queen country near Zaneen and the amazing Baobabs in Limpopo provinceand crocodile river and while you are at it. Go across the border and meet the wonderful friendly yet suffering people of Zimbabwe another country in the hands of a totally wrong government in this case a vile tirant. But then does the world care? No because China has bought everything there is for sale there including the big called Mugabe.. And that is the main reason the rest of the political world does not care as they don't want to upset their rich trading partners and their friends.. Sawubona! Dankie and good by from Canada. PS. Did you know that Zuma is dragging the Canadian constitution ( given to Mr. Mandela as a gift to the new RSA as a new beginning) through the mud? What do you think of that?

We basically trade in any mineral but primarily deal with diamonds and gold. We normally get very lucrative projects and we source out funder who will be interested in such or we meet with an investor who requires a specific project(e.g: a platinum mine that is operational and has a monthly turnover of $2 million or more) and we get that project for the investor and get our cut in equity or cash. We currently have more than 50 multi-million and multi-billion dollar projects on our database. Feel free to inbox me if you interested in doing business. I'm sorry you had to go through that but you are right. There are some people who want to feed off other people's hard work.

Interesting, I thought our constitution was compsoed of aspect from Roman-Dutch law. I need to read up on that and thank you very much for your response. Have a nice day.

What do you love about living in Soweto/SA? What makes it unique in your eyes?

What makes Soweto unique has to be the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani. The infrastructure of that theatre is breathtaking! I love living in Soweto because everyone is interconnected in a way. We all can relate to each other in a way and that's how we all get along.

That sounds really lovely. I love New Orleans for the same reasons. People are so friendly, so kind, and it's really a community. Bless you, dear. :)

I hope to visit America soon, and god bless you too mam

What do you think is the greatest thing your country has to offer the rest of the world? How have arts such as the movie Chappie and the music group Die Antword affected people's view of South Africa, and do you think they are a net positive or negative influence?

South Africa has a lot to offer to the world the problem is that our own government fails to recognize talent or ingenuity or promote it. I mean there was a high school kid who created a prosthetic limb out of cardboard and copper wires and uses a calculator he connected to the prosthetic limb to type an equation in which the answer will result to a specific part of the prosthetic limb to move(e.g say the kid type 1+1, after pressing =, the toe of the prosthetic limb will move). One thing I know for sure is that in America that kid would be receiving scholarships and awards. But I haven't heard from the kid again nor is he famous. We have gotten used to mediocrity that our own country just doesn't want to recognize ingenuity unless it is already established. I mean they can hold a ceremony for learners who have passed exceptionally well on their matric but can't do anything for a Black Einstein who created a responsive prosthetic limb with cardboard, copper wires and a calculator. That kid deserves a parade!. A few people know about the antwoord or any other band that plays rock or boeremusiek. Most black South Africans like afro tribal house music. The likes of Dj black Coffee, Abicah Soul, Harrison Crump etc make the people dance and influence people.

I love the fact that we live in the most liberal country in Africa! You can be gay, bisexual, goth, emo, skaterboy, christian, jewish, muslim etc etc and people will simply respect you for your choice.

I'm currently reading about witchcraft in Soweto for school. Is this cultural aspect still around? Do you have any personal experiences or know any stories? And what do you think of witchcraft?

Unfortunately such does exist. Black people still believe witchdoctors, traditional healers(isangoma or inyanga) or herbalists are practising witchcraft or some form of black magic. People are killed particularly old women because they are suspected of being witches. In schools there, occultic satanic groups are on the rise. The most horrible story iv heard was when certain witchdoctors kidnapped a baby girl, slaughtered it and extract her heart and used it to make umuthi(traditional medicine). I personally think witchcraft doesn't exist but people with a divine call do exist.

Oh my god that is much more horrifying than what I'm reading. Thank you for replying.

My pleasure

How did the World Cup affect the country? Was there similar controversy to when Brazil hosted it?

The world cup boosted our economy and international PR to great levels. We hosted the world cup with no problem! The british media platforms tried to sabotage us once more by reporting lies. Talking about cannibals and whatnot. Tourists were treated like royalty here and ask any person who was here during the world cup and they will tell you they had loads of fun and not to mention they were safe. The only plausible controversy we had was the construction of the stadiums, at one point it seemed like we wouldn't finish in time but we did. Brazil on the other hand had many controversies, a bridge collapsed, certain tourists complained about criminals and the locals protested over certain issues. I don't know why these british news columns want to sabotage us. They also tried to implicate us on the FIFA corruption scandal.

Funny, I'd never heard of Soweto until this morning when I read this article this morning. Do you believe much has changed?

On point about everything and FYI I live near the place that is mentioned in the article. The basketball court the author is talking about is next to a cricket oval and a soccer ground. Things have drastically changed for the better.

Hello Thando,

I'm a South African currently studying abroad. What are your thoughts on the whole #FeesMustFall scenario?

It was revolutionary! It was a great initiative to be honest but then the students who were protesting are now getting greedy. They wanted the fees to fall and they have fallen now they are misusing the power they have and are demanding free education. That's ridiculous. The government created FET(further education training) colleges with the sole purpose of providing affordable tertiary education to those who can't afford university. If they want free education, they must go to FET colleges. Wits and UCT(university of Cape Town) are world class tertiary institutions. They need funds to maintain that stature. I also didn't like the part where certain students started behaving stupidly by destroying things,starting fires and burning books. When you burn a book you kill a nation and if they destroy the university, where will they learn?

Hope you doing well.

How bad's the Methaquaalone problem there? It's those pills that people supposedly smoke through a glass bottle.

Very bad but we have a more serious drug problem here. There are two drugs that keep giving black communities trouble. One is called Nyoape(a combination of Marijuana and cheap heroin) and the other is called Whoonga(a combination of ARVs, heroin and soap detergents). Both drugs are like the PCP of South africa. Cheap and very toxic. The drug addicts normally don't work therefore they resort to crime to feed their habit. Meth drug problem mostly affects areas that are filled with coloureds(mixed race/human hybrids) .

You mentioned that you were into mine brokerage, do you deal with semi precious minerals or strictly gemstone mining? Or something else? I collect south African minerals and would love to support you!

We deal in any mineral and commodity and kindly inbox so we can discuss the business further

A lot of people in North America are used to this sort of single classification of "African American" and lump everyone in that group together, and don't realize that in Africa it's much more complex than just "white vs black". To what extent is crime racially motivated between different black ethnic groups?

Violent crime can be caused by tribalist tendencies. The best example of that is during the 90s when the IFP(Inkatha Freedom Party) a political party that is comprised of mostly zulus fought with the ANC( African National Congress) a political party that was mostly comprised of xhosa supporters. Both parties directed brutal acts of violence towards each other and such directives were influenced by tribalist intentions. However currently such doesn't occur like it did in the 90s however last year we had a serious issue whereby my region(comprised of Zulus, Sothos and Tswanas) fought in daily skirmishes with the region next to us(which was comprised of Venda and Tsonga people). People fought each other and committed crimes against each because of tribal affiliations, nothing more. Tribalism can be dangerous at times.

I was there in September. Somebody said the old power plant that was turned into a bungee jump spot is also a club at night? Is that true?

Lol you mean the twin towers in Orlando, yes that's true. The whole plant has been turned into an entertainment center where one can do bunjee jumping, go kart racing, bicycle tours, shopping, ATV rides, Paintballing etc etc. The club is on the base of the power plant and it is called Chaf Pozi. A very upmarket, safe and vibey club. If you do visit, go and check it out, it will be fun.

I went to Joberg recently and I was amazed by how many skyscraper office buildings were abandoned with the windows brown out and fires burning inside them. How does that situation arise?

I'm not sure however I personally believe its because the building has some technical fault or the owner of the title deed of that particular building doesn't care about it nor know what's happening. The government can't do anything on such incidents unless it serves their interests then, they will do something.

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I say your friend needs to see a therapist as soon as possible and deal with emotional trauma but as for bringing back apartheid? That will never happen...a white person won't rule this country for a very long time that I'm certain because people still fear that they can bring apartheid.

I am currently reading Zulu Chest Cutter...and am fascinated. I found out about the book from Dr. Arthur McUnu, whom I work with (his autobiography). Have you read it? It deals primarily with the unrest in Soweto in the 70's....I am very curious to see how it compares with your current situation.

I haven't read the book but do send me a link. I Believe today's soweto is better than the Soweto of the 70s. It was rough back then. My Grandparents tell me that helicopters used to fly at night everyday and the military would patrol on a daily basis and things got worse after the 1976 soweto uprising where students were shot and killed. Soweto is evolving, we even have a university now and countless tertiary education institutions, malls, entertainment centers, libraries, top notch schools etc. Things are getting better... Definitely.

Funny enough, I got my book from Dr. McUnu...but I see there are some on Amazon... I found a few podcasts with interviews with McUnu as well. I have to say, after working with the man, and seeing his compassion with our patients and their families, I am more impressed with his ability to understand tragedy and suffering.

I would love to read more about Soweto...any suggestions?

www.soweto.co.za/

www.southafrica.info/travel/cities/soweto.htm#.Vj6k2esl8ps

www.sahistory.org.za/places/soweto

Thank you so much! I appreciate your AMA...and I'd love to see you succeed!

My pleasure and I wish you all the best too

How do you feel about the erosion of traditional Zulu values and the rejection of IsiZulu amongst the AmaZulu in favor of Western languages and ideals?

It is very sad ey that our own people are starting think that western ideals and philosophies are better than indigenous ones. You find zulu people praising christianity and downgrading zulu traditionalist beliefs of ancestral worship and god. I don't know why we black south africans assume that all that is western is good or better in some way. But in a way, zulu traditions have no place in the modern world. I remember a time whereby we slaughtered a cow to give thanks to our ancestors for the good luck(ritual) and we did it at a surburb in my uncle's place, the next door neighbours who were white called the SPCA on us. Zulu people were warriors who were fearless but no we have to substitute the assegai, shield and war songs for a 3-piece suit, a career and western etiquette. But such a part of human evolution.

1) What are the major teachings of sexual education in schools?

2) What would you say are the most significant lasting effects of apartheid?

We have a subject in our educational system called LO(Life Orientation) that is responsible for teaching children about sex education. However the sad part is that most black families here don't engage the topic at all because they reckon if they speak about sex to their kids, they are giving them a platform to be promiscuous. So most black children and teens are forced to learn about sex at school or through experimentation and unfortunately we all know it simply takes one sexual intercourse session to impregnate a woman. Plus abortion is taboo, women who commit abortion are rejected, shamed and ridiculed. Another reason for the high pregnancy rates in this country is that a few people know about emergency contraceptives or they believe they induce some sort of abortive purpose.

The significant effect has to be the disunity. We have 12 official languages in South Africa, each language belongs to a specific tribe or race therefore we have more than 20 different tribes that exist here. Differences always creates a platform for conflict. it is proven that countries with a homogenous society tend to be more succesful and have socio-economic stability than countries with a lot of people who belong to different tribes or races(Japan is an example). But I personally believe it is the poverty because it has catalyzed every major problem we are facing(crime and corruption)

How is the Xenophobia situation on at the moment in Soweto? What was the reaction to the murder of Lucky Dube in South Africa and specifically Soweto? Is it something that is likely to happen now as it did then or is it safer?

The xenophobic attacks have ceased completely. Even the African traders have re-established their businesses. Lucky Dube was an Icon and he didn't die in Soweto. He was shot and killed in an attempt hijacking in Rosetenville(if I'm not mistaken), the whole country took it quite hard because he was not only a legendary artist, he was a philanthropist and freedom fighter. The government is working hard towards raising an anti-xenophobia campaign which looks to be keeping the peace. I doubt they will happen anytime soon.

I'm actually taking a class about Africa right now. We learned about apartheid and the horrible conditions the people there had to go through. A lot of people don't even realize this kind of injustice has happened so recently. My question is how much does these events still shape South Africa today?

If you have time, go to the townships, the orphanages and every area that represent poverty and desperation. That's the legacy apartheid left. When black people were forcibly removed from their locations/land and placed in bad areas with no housing, no electricity, one tap for every 50 people and a bucket to use as a toilet. They were forced to adjust to this kind of situation by erecting the bad housing that exists today. Go to Kliptown and see how people live there, go to Khayelitsha and see how people live there. The crime rate of this country... Apartheid is responsible. How so you might ask. You see during apartheid, black people had very limited opportunities. You could either be a teacher, nurse, domestic worker, garden boy or lawyer if you are lucky. Even with those professions, people were paid enough just to survive. Now that happened during apartheid. When apartheid ended, the white people gave executive and political power but not economic power. During the CODESA negotiations, Mr Mandela and his negotiation team agreed to a very bad deal but given the circumstances they had no choice. It is a painfully slow integration from poverty to success for young black people even so, they still face the burden of channeling all the efforts and money they receive from their work to their families. For most poor black families, there is only one university graduate who now has to take care of the rest of the family. South Africa was the city of gold but colonialists and certain European powers looted all the minerals here and got rich from them. The same people will be the ones judging South Africa and speaking ill of its crime rates whilst their ancestors caused this mess in the first place. People need to understand that the crime that occurs here is because of the poverty and the reason why many black people are impoverished is because of Apartheid. People can say there are opportunities, but then what's the point to giving out opportunities to people who can't even afford to go university or any other tertiary institution. Our government also is partially responsible for prolonging the suffering in post-apartheid South Africa by not dealing with important issues on a grassroots level. Those who made it were the educated ones and the rest were forced to settle for less, prolonging the poverty.

This was a very informative read. Thanks for the info. I'm really glad I chose the course

My pleasure mr/mrs/ms

What is the worst thing you have ever seen?

What is the best thing you have ever seen?

The worst thing iv seen was when a young teen was strapped to a tree, stripped of all his clothing and beaten up with sticks and stones and then he was set alight. He died that day for stealing a cellphone.

Best thing I have ever seen was when I was 7 years old. My friend's dad came to our class and gave his son a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I never knew my real dad because he was never in my life, so seeing that moment gave me hope. I grew up thinking my dad didn't love me enough to stay but after I saw that, I knew there are still some good fathers who love their kids to death and I'm going to be one of them one day.