FUBAR

The crime statistics of South Africa leaves one quite aghast. As a native South African, albeit of European decent and therefore of "privileged" past, I cannot help shadows of doubt threatening my resolve to return home one day. The latest crime statistics have caused understandable disquiet amongst several commentators in South Africa this past week. The Times of South Africa reported "Parties hammer Nqakula over crime statistics" earlier today.

Some take a rather gloomy view of matters by pointing at the murder rate, which has increased by 2.4% in the past year whereas this rate was decreasing consistently over the past 13 years until recently. Their conclusion is "Crime is out of control". Perhaps that is pure hyperbole, but what concerns more is the increase in attacks on people inside their homes. Crimes targeting people's homes have increased by about 25%, according to the Times' report.

Over all of the above there looms the ominous specter of vigilante response from the public to a perceived lack of police ability in these matters. Once a country enters the realm of the Wild West, the future looks grim indeed. Perhaps we need another colonialisation to quell that fear. China? Suddenly, the words of Cecil John Rhodes, once Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, seem to linger on a desperately distant horizon: "I contend that we [the British] are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race."

Yes Sir, indeed you will be turning in your grave.