59th South Africa Battling Negative Image

For those who haven't been to South Africa, and even for those who have, the first word that comes to mind is crime. For South Africans, too, it's a huge issue that polarizes society and prohibits progress ― personal, social and economic.

Crime statistics are shocking, putting South Africa at or near the top of the list in murders, rapes, thefts and any other offence you care to name.

Why is crime such a problem here? Poverty is not the answer ― there are far poorer countries in Africa with far lower crime rates. Inequality, too, is only a partial answer. While South Africa´s wealth is spreading steadily across racial boundaries, it increasingly remains in the hands of the few.

Recent statistics show that SA now has the widest gap between rich and poor in the world. Yet there is rampant inequality throughout the developing world, and those countries, unlike South Africa, are not immediately associated with crime.

Instead, the answer lies in the attitudes of the people of South Africa, where empathy could never be considered a national trait, our unique and tragic history, as well as the shortcomings of our government in dealing with the problem.

The SA Police Service has been unable to cope with the situation due to a chronic lack of resources. Now, at last, the World Cup is arguably helping to change this, with more being spent on beefing up police capabilities.

The normalization of crime in society has many unfortunate consequences. Many skilled South Africans choose to emigrate.

For those who stay, a paranoid ´siege mentality´ amongst the rich encourages isolation and hinders the disruption of old racial and new class boundaries. It also fosters a suspicion of outsiders that has already boiled over into violent xenophobia.

Nevertheless, people tend to forget that the vast majority South Africans enjoy normal, peaceful lives. As anyone who has ever been to SA will tell you, the threat of crime should not stop anyone from coming here, least of all for an event as momentous as the World Cup, to which each and every South African is looking forward.

The optimism in the air is tangible. South Africa is hosting this event for a reason - because it deserves to, and because FIFA knows it will be a success. It´s time for the rest of the world to agree. See you there!

Our South African correspondent is currently based in Johannesburg, after living in Chungju, Chung-Buk Do until March 2009.